UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF   AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT    STATION 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 


Culture  of  the  Oriental  Persimmon 
in  California 


KNOWLES  RYERSON 


BULLETIN  416 

January,  1927 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRINTING  OFFICE 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 

1927 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  California,  Davis  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/cultureoforie4161927ryer 


CULTURE   OF   THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON 
IN   CALIFORNIA 


KNOWLES   EYERSONi 


INTRODUCTION 

Though  grown  in  California  for  half  a  century  or  more,  the 
Oriental  or  Japanese  persimmon  is  still  a  fruit  of  minor  importance  in 
the  horticulture  of  the  state.  Interest  in  its  culture  has  increased 
greatly  in  recent  years,  however,  and  much  new  acreage  has  been 
planted.  The  present  total  bearing  and  non-bearing  plantings  prob- 
ably do  not  exceed  one  thousand  acres,  but  this  represents  more 
than  double  the  acreage  of  five  years  ago  and  new  plantings  are  con- 
stantly being  made.  The  fruit  reaches  the  market  in  the  fall  and 
winter  months  during  the  holiday  season  and  has  met  with  considerable 
favor,  for  many  years  having  returned  a  good  profit  to  the  growers. 
Until  recently  the  persimmon  has  been  grown  primarily  as  a  side  line, 
but  from  present  indications  in  the  near  future  its  culture  will  be  an 
important  industry  in  certain  parts  of  California. 


HISTORY  AND  SPREAD 

The  Oriental  persimmon  has  been  grown  extensively  in  China  and 
Japan  for  centuries,  and  the  ancient  literature  of  these  countries  con- 
tains many  references  to  it.  Marco  Polo  mentions  the  fruit  in  his 
account  of  his  travels.  Meyer2  reports  that  he  found  top-worked  trees 
in  China  which  were  several  centuries  old  and  mentions  whole  valleys 
given  over  entirely  to  persimmon  culture.  In  Japan,  while  there  are 
districts  where  the  fruit  is  especially  cultivated,  the  trees  are  to  be 
found,  individually  or  in  groups,  widely  scattered  over  the  entire 
country. 

The  persimmon  has  long  been  the  most  widely  used  staple  fruit 
of  the  Orient.  Both  fresh  and  dried,  it  fills  an  important  place  in  the 
diet  of  China  and  Japan  and  has  been  referred  to  as  "  the  apple  of  the 
Orient"  as  indicative  of  its  importance  there. 


iFormerly  Specialist  in  Agricultural  Extension  and  Farm  Advisor  in  Los 
Angeles  County. 

2  Meyer,  Frank  N.  Agricultural  explorations  in  the  fruit  and  nut  orchards 
of  China.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bur.  Plant  Ind.  Bui.  204:   10-16.     1911. 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  general  name  applied  to  the  fruit  in  this  state — the  Japanese 
persimmon — would  seem  to  indicate  Japanese  origin.  The  evidence, 
however,  leads  us  to  believe  that  it  originated  in  China,  from  which 
country  it  was  early  taken  to  Japan.  During  the  centuries  in  which 
it  has  been  under  cultivation  in  the  Orient,  many  varieties  have 
appeared  and  cultural  practices  have  been  developed  to  a  high  degree. 
In  addition  to  the  uses  of  the  fruit,  products  from  the  tree,  including 
the  wood  and  stain,  have  found  wide  application  in  the  industries  and 
the  arts  of  the  Far  East,  to  the  extent  that  the  persimmon  tree  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  important  economic  assets  of  that  region.  The 
Oriental  persimmon  was  known  in  Europe  and  had  been  grown  along 
the  Mediterranean,  especially  on  the  Riviera,  a  hundred  years  before 
it  was  grown  in  the  United  States.  Its  cultivation  there,  however,  has 
never  been  on  a  commercial  scale. 

The  Oriental  persimmon  was  introduced  into  the  United  States  as 
a  direct  result  of  the  memorable  visit  to  Japan  made  by  Commodore 
Perry  in  1856.  He  secured  some  of  the  seeds  and  sent  them  to  Wash- 
ington where  they  were  planted  at  the  Naval  Observatory.  Four  years 
later  the  first  of  the  trees  bore  fruit.  No  distribution  of  seedlings 
from  these  trees  was  ever  made  and  after  some  years  they  died.  In 
1863,  William  Saunders  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture imported  another  supply  of  seeds,  and  trees  were  grown  and 
distributed  for  trial.  The  first  importation  of  grafted  trees  was  made 
by  the  Department  in  1870.  This  was  a  fairly  large  shipment  but 
because  of  the  long  journey  and  the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  long  tap 
roots  moist,  most  of  the  trees  died.  Among  those  that  lived,  however, 
were  found  several  of  the  now  best-known  varieties  including  the 
Hachiya,  Tanenashi  and  Yemon.  Distributions  from  this  importation 
were  made  throughout  the  southern  states  and  in  California.  This 
shipment  marked  the  beginning  of  extensive  importations  by  both  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  and  private  concerns,  which  continued 
actively  for  more  than  two  decades,  during  which  time  the  trees 
became  distributed  throughout  the  states  of  the  cotton  belt  and  in  all 
parts  of  California.  Importations  were  continued  on  a  much  less 
extensive  scale  until  June  1,  1919,  when  they  were  discontinued  as  a 
result  of  Quarantine  Order  37  of  the  Federal  Horticultural  Board. 

With  the  coming  into  production  of  the  first  trees  in  the  southern 
states,  a  decided  stimulus  was  given  to  commercial  plantings.  Varieties 
were  tested,  cultural  problems  studied,  and  the  infant  industry 
enjoyed  the  attention  of  a  large  number  of  investigators,  which  is 
reflected  in  the  reports  and  bulletins  issued  by  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  the  state  experiment  stations,  and  horti- 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


cultural  societies.  Of  those  who  have  contributed  most  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  industry  in  the  South,  no  one  person  has  done  more  than 
H.  H.  Hume  of  Glen  Saint  Mary,  Florida,  formerly  of  the  Florida 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  whose  studies  over  a  long  period 
of  years  concerning  the  behavior  of  varieties,  cultural  practices,  and 
especially  pollination,  have  done  much  to  remove  uncertainties  in  the 
raising  of  persimmons  in  that  region.  Following  the  extensive  plant- 
ings during  the  period  just  mentioned,  interest  waned.  It  was  found 
that  large  quantities  of  persimmons  could  not  be  disposed  of  profitably 
as  the  public  was  unacquainted  with  the  fruit  and  its  uses.  Planting 
ceased,  except  in  a  minor  way  and  has  not  been  resumed  until  within 
recent  years. 

The  number  of  trees  growing  in  the  different  southern  states  and 
California,  together  with  their  production  (according  to  the  last 
census,  1919)  is  shown  in  table  1. 

TABLE   1 
Acreage  and  Production  of  Persimmons  (1919) 


State 


Trees  of 

bearing 

age 


Trees  of 
non-bearing 


Total 


Production 
Bushels 


Virginia 

Georgia 

Florida 

Alabama.... 
Mississippi 
Louisiana... 

Texas 

California.. 


230 

225 

5,180 

5,912 

427 

91 

2,090 

13,847 


50 

45 

12,469 

1,895 

494 

129 

1,832 

7,500 


280 

270 

17,649 

7,807 

921 

220 

3,922 

21,347 


72 

55 

5,473 

1,182 

224 

149 

822 

21,452 


Within  the  past  few  years,  however,  interest  has  again  been  mani- 
fested in  the  commercial  production  of  the  Oriental  persimmon  in  the 
southern  states,  and  new  plantings  have  been  made.  The  new  non- 
astringent  variety  known  as  Fuyu  and  the  one  supposed  by  some  to 
be  identical  with  it,  Fuyugaki,  have  been  planted  in  considerable 
numbers;  these  are  described  on  page  28.  The  area  in  the  southern 
states  which  can  be  devoted  to  persimmon  growing  is  large,  and  as 
the  public  becomes  increasingly  familiar  with  the  uses  of  the  fruit, 
it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  there  may  again  be  a  marked  increase 
in  acreage  in  that  region. 

As  has  been  mentioned,  California  received  some  of  the  first 
importation  of  grafted  trees  made  in  1870  and  others  in  the  years 
immediately  following.     These  were  planted  in  all  parts  of  the  state. 


6  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Rev.  Henry  Loomis  at  this  time  began  large  importations  direct  to 
San  Francisco,  and  for  several  years  afterwards  distributed  hundreds 
of  trees.  Some  of  the  first  to  come  into  bearing  were  located  on  the 
place  of  Colonel  Hollister  at  Santa  Barbara.  The  fruits  from  these 
trees  weighed  from  one-half  to  a  pound  or  more  and  excited  much 
curiosity  and  attention.  At  about  this  time  some  of  the  plantings 
were  made  which  have  since  become  famous  throughout  the  state. 
The  Elwood  Cooper  orchard  in  Santa  Barbara  on  the  now  famous 
Elwood  ranch  was  set  out  during  this  period.  Car-lot  shipments  were 
sent  from  this  orchard  for  years. 

In  1874,  R.  H.  Gilman  planted  an  acre  of  supposedly  Hachiya  trees 
on  what  is  now  the  McCulloch  Ranch  between  Fullerton  and  Placentia. 
The  planting  proved  to  contain  over  forty  varieties.  Because  of 
unsatisfactory  market  conditions  most  of  the  trees  were  later  removed. 
However,  one  of  them  still  remains  and  has  an  interesting  history. 
Scions  were  taken  from  this  tree  by  C.  P.  Taft  and  inserted  in  trees 
on  his  place  near  Orange.  When  they  came  into  bearing,  the  fruit 
was  markedly  superior  to  the  ordinary  strain  of  the  Hachiya.  He 
took  scions  from  these  trees  and  inserted  them  in  trees  on  the  present 
Thales  ranch,  within  a  short  distance  from  the  original  parent  tree. 
It  is  from  this  start  that  the  splendid  orchard  on  that  ranch  has  been 
developed. 

In  1876  the  first  planting  was  made  in  Placer  County  on  the  Ira 
Avery  place.  One  of  the  trees  of  the  original  planting,  of  the  Tsuru 
variety,  is  still  alive.  This  first  planting  consisted  of  but  a  few  trees, 
but  because  of  their  success,  the  planting  was  gradually  extended  until 
it  now  comprises  about  40  acres.  Other  plantings  were  made  in  the 
county  in  the  years  following,  but  development  was  slow. 

As  the  interest  in  the  fruit  increased,  the  California  Experiment 
Station  undertook  the  testing  of  some  of  the  varieties  both  at  Berkeley 
and  at  the  sub-stations,  notably  at  Jackson  in  Amador  County.  The 
report  of  1880  recorded  the  fact  that  fruits  ripened  at  Berkeley  but 
they  were  small  and  astringent.  With  the  exception  of  occasional 
reduction  of  crop  from  spring  frost  damage  the  planting  at  Jackson 
was  highly  successful,  corroborating  the  experience  in  Placer  County 
that  the  tree  is  admirably  suited  to  the  foothill  region  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  range. 

The  period  since  the  earlier  introductions  has  been  marked  by  a 
very  slow  expansion  in  persimmon  plantings  until  quite  recently. 
Persimmon  growing  has  been  maintained  as  a  sideline  rather  than  a 
major  crop.  The  fairly  high  return  that  has  been  received  over  a  long 
period  of  years,  maintained  primarily  because  of  the  relatively  slow 


BUL.  416]  THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  7 

increase  in  production,  at  last  attracted  attention,  with  the  result 
that  the  past  five  years  have  witnessed  a  rapid  expansion  in  planting, 
particularly  in  southern  California,  but  also  in  other  parts  of  the 
state.  The  total  acreage  has  about  doubled  in  this  time.  Realizing 
that  such  an  unusual  increase  in  production  would  be  certain  to  result 
in  greatly  reduced  prices  unless  consumption  could  be  increased,  the 
persimmon  groAvers  of  southern  California  recently  took  steps  to  effect 
an  organization  to  further  their  interests  and  to  unite  their  efforts  in 
the  solution  of  their  problems.  Preliminary  steps  were  taken  in  the 
fall  of  1922,  and  in  the  following  spring  an  organization  known  as  the 
Persimmon  Growers  Department  of  the  Southern  Counties  Farm 
Bureaus  was  launched.  Its  program  included  a  survey  of  the  indus- 
try in  both  California  and  the  southern  states,  a  study  of  the  root- 
stocks  now  in  use,  the  appointment  of  a  committee  for  the  study  and 
the  elimination  of  all  but  a  very  few  of  the  best  varieties  for  com- 
mercial planting,  and  a  study  of  marketing  practices  with  a  view  to 
standardization  of  methods  of  packing,  handling,  and  selling.  A  part 
of  the  first  report  of  the  variety  committee  is  given  in  a  later  section. 
Standards  have  been  set  for  packing  and  grading,  and  in  1924  the 
first  steps  were  taken  toward  controlling  the  sale  of  the  fruit.  The 
survey  undertaken  furnished  the  basis  for  a  careful  analysis  of  the 
industry,  thus  laying  the  foundation  for  sound  development  in  the 
future.  In  1924  a  similar  organization  movement  was  started  in 
the  northern  persimmon-growing  districts  in  the  formation  of  the 
Northern  California  Persimmon  Association. 

The  part  played  b}^  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 
in  the  development  of  the  persimmon  industry  has  been  a  most  impor- 
tant one.  Through  the  continuous  search  by  explorers  and  others  in 
the  Orient,  the  best  varieties  have  been  brought  in  for  trial  and 
propagation.  One  of  those  recently  introduced  promises  to  have  a 
very  marked  effect  on  the  future  of  the  industry.  This  variety,  the 
Fuyu,  a  clear-fleshed,  non-astringent  fruit,  has  been  so  eagerly  sought 
by  those  setting  out  orchards  during  the  past  two  years  that  there 
has  not  been  nearly  enough  stock  to  supply  the  demand  either  in 
California  or  in  the  southern  states.  The  name  of  the  veteran  plant 
explorer,  the  late  Frank  N.  Meyer,  is  closely  associated  with  this  and 
other  varieties  which  he  introduced  as  a  result  of  his  travels.  At  the 
(jfovernment  Plant  Introduction  Garden  at  Chico,  California,  there  is 
maintained  a  trial  orchard  containing  the  introductions  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture,  which  serves  to  supply  much- 
needed  information  on  the  possible  commercial  value  of  these 
introductions. 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


BOTANICAL  RELATIONSHIPS  AND  DESCRIPTIONS 

The  Oriental  persimmon  belongs  to  the  family  botanically  known  as  the 
Ebenaceae  or  Ebony  family.  Members  of  this  family  comprise  a  large  group  of 
deciduous  and  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs  finding  wide  use  as  ornamental,  fruit- 
bearing  and  timber-producing  trees.  The  genus  Diospyros — named  from  Bios, 
meaning  Jove,  and  pyros,  grain,  literally  "food  of  the  gods"  because  of  the 
excellence  of  the  fruits — contains  nearly  two  hundred  species,  about  a  hundred  and 
ninety  of  which  are  found  in  the  tropics  and  the  remaining  few  in  the  temperate 
zone.  Many  of  them  are  of  economic  importance,  notably  those  producing  the 
ebony  wood  of  commerce. 

The  trees  are  either  dioecious  or  monoecious,  the  staminate  flowers  appearing 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  of  the  previous  year;  staminate  flowers  smaller  than  the 
pistillate,  commonly  in  the  three-flowered  cymes;  pistillate  flowers  generally  soli- 
tary; calyx  four-lobed,  the  lobes  contorted  in  the  bud,  more  or  less  contracted  in 
the  throat,  the  lobes  spreading  or  recurved;  stamens  sixteen  to  twenty-four  in 
number  inserted  on  the  bottom  of  the  corolla  in  two  rows  and  in  pairs;  filaments 
free,  slender;  anthers  oblong,  the  cells  opening  laterally  by  longitudinal  slits; 
stamens  mostly  rudimentary  or  wanting  in  the  pistillate  flowers  although  perfect 
flowers  are  sometimes  found;  ovary  usually  four-celled,  each  cell  more  or  less 
completely  divided;  styles  four,  spreading  ,two-lobed  at  the  apex;  stigmas  two- 
parted  or  lobed;  ovule  solitary  in  each  of  the  divisions  of  the  cells.  Fruit  globose, 
oblong,  or  conical  ,one  to  ten-seeded,  surrounded  at  the  base  by  the  enlarged  per- 
sistent calyx.  Seeds  pendulous,  oblong,  compressed;  seed  coat  thick  and  bony, 
dark,  more  or  less  lustrous. 

Several  members  of  the  genus  are  native  to  the  American  continent 
and  bear  fruits  that  are  used  to  some  extent.  The  most  widely  known 
is  the  native  American  persimmon  (D.  virginiana)  which  grows  from 
Connecticut  to  Florida,  and  as  far  west  as  eastern  Kansas  and  Okla- 
homa. Several  improved  and  named  varieties  have  been  developed. 
Its  use  as  a  rootstock  for  the  Oriental  persimmon  will  be  discussed 
later.  Diospyros  texana,  a  native  of  the  Colorado  and  Concho  river 
regions  in  Texas,  yields  a  fruit  that  is  extremely  astringent  until  fully 
ripe,  and  finds  little  use  except  as  a  source  of  dye  for  staining  black, 
for  which  purpose  the  Mexicans  employ  it  to  a  limited  extent. 
D.  ebenaster,  the  sapote  negro  of  Mexico,  bears  a  fruit  green  in  color 
and  resembling  a  large,  oblate  apple.  The  soft  flesh  is  almost  black 
and  not  attractive  in  appearance.  It  is  very  sweet  and  cloying, 
resembling  many  other  fruits  of  the  tropics.  It  is  too  tender  to  grow 
in  southern  California. 

Another  member  of  the  genus  of  importance  but  native  to  China 
rather  than  this  country,  is  Diospyros  lotus.  This  species  has  been 
known  to  botanists  for  a  long  time,  but  was  not  used  as  a  rootstock 


BuL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN   CALIFORNIA 


Fig.  1. — Flower  forms  of  the  Oriental  persimmon.     A,  Staminate  flowers. 

B,  Pistillate  flowers. 


10  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

until  Meyer  called  attention  to  its  value  for  this  purpose.  It  is  found 
growing  wild  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  northern  China  and  bears 
quantities  of  small  fruits  that  turn  black  when  ripe.  They  are  about 
the  size  of  cherries  and  are  used  in  large  quantities  by  the  natives. 
The  tree  is  usually  dioecious.  This  species  has  found  wide  use  in  Cali- 
fornia as  a  rootstock  upon  which  the  kaki  varieties  are  grafted.  Its 
use  in  this  connection  will  be  discussed  in  detail  in  the  section  devoted 
to  rootstocks.  Many  trees  of  this  species  are  fruiting  in  California.  As 
far  back  as  1882,  the  report  of  the  California  Experiment  Station 
recorded  the  fact  that  it  succeeded  unusually  well. 

Diospyros  kaki. — This  species  includes  all  of  the  true  Oriental  or 
kaki  persimmons.  It  is  native  to  China,  from  which  country  it  has 
been  taken  to  many  other  parts  of  the  world.  It  has  been  under  culti- 
vation for  centuries  and  is  probably  the  most  widely  distributed  and 
common  fruit  of  both  China  and  Japan. 

The  tree  sometimes  reaches  a  height  of  forty  feet.  The  crown  is  commonly 
rounded,  though  in  some  varieties  very  few  branches  of  any  size  develop,  the  fruit 
being  borne  on  short  pendant  laterals,  little  or  no  crown  being  evident.  The 
leaves  vary  considerably  in  shape,  ranging  from  obovate  and  oblong-ovate  to  ovate 
or  ovate  elliptic,  acuminate  at  the  apex,  glabrous  above  and  more  or  less  finely 
pubescent  underneath.  The  color  is  a  dark,  glossy  green,  in  some  varieties  chang- 
ing to  bright  yellow  and  red  in  the  fall.  The  flowers  of  this  species  caused  much 
confusion  both  botanically  and  also  from  a  practical  point  of  view,  until  Hume3 
made  his  thorough  investigation  of  the  flowering  habits  of  the  species,  which  cleared 
up  the  matter.  Instead  of  being  consistently  dioecious  as  had  been  generally 
assumed,  he  found  that  three  kinds  of  flowers  may  be  produced — staminate, 
pistillate,  and  perfect.  These  three  types  may,  though  rarely,  be  found  on  a  single 
tree.  They  are  all  borne  on  wood  of  the  current  season's  growth.  The  staminate 
blossoms  are  borne  usually  in  three-flowered  cymes  in  the  leaf  axils,  or  they  may 
be  found  singly  or  in  groups  of  two  (fig.  1).  The  calyx  and  corolla  are  four-lobed. 
Two  rows  of  stamens,  sixteen  to  twenty-four  in  number,  are  inserted  upon  the 
corolla.  The  pistillate  flowers  are  borne  singly  in  the  leaf  axils;  the  leaf -like 
calyx  is  large;  the  four-parted  corolla  is  yellowish-white  when  first  open,  turning 
brown  later.  The  eight  stamens  are  abortive;  the  ovary  is  flattened,  globose,  and 
contains  eight  cells;  the  short  four-parted  style  is  surmounted  with  a  much 
branched  stigma.  Perfect  flowers  are  usually  found  associated  with  the  staminate 
flower  clusters  and  are  intermediate  in  character.  They  are  a  development  from 
the  staminate  type,  according  to  Hume. 

In  his  investigation  of  the  flowering  habits  of  this  species,  Hume 
found  that  the  different  varieties  vary  markedly  as  to  the  types  of 
blossoms  borne  and  the  regularity  with  which  they  are  produced. 
Certain  varieties  consistently  produce  only  pistillate  blossoms;  others 


3  Hume,  H.  H.    The  flowers  of  Diospyros  TcaM.    Trans.  St.  Louis  Acad.  Sci. 
125-135.     1913. 


Bul.416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


11 


produce  both  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers  in  varying  proportions 
from  year  to  year,  some  years  the  number  of  staminate  blossoms  being 
exceedingly  small  or  none.  The  number  of  perfect  flowers  produced 
is  negligible  and  has  no  important  effect  on  the  fruitfulness  of  the 
tree.  These  studies  have  materially  assisted  in  the  solution  of  the 
problem  of  obtaining  the  setting  of  satisfactory  crops  in  the  southern 
states.  The  Tanenashi  variety,  he  found,  regularly  set  crops  without 
pollination.  Other  varieties  cannot  be  grown  profitably  in  the  south- 
ern states  without  provision  for  pollination.  Hume  classified  the 
different  varieties  according  to  their  flower  bearing  habits.  Those 
which  always  bear  staminate  flowers  are  termed  staminate  constants; 
those  which  produce  them  irregularly  are  termed  staminate  sporadics; 
while  those  which  bear  only  pistillate  blossoms  are  termed  pistillate 
constants.  No  varieties  have  been  found  which  bear  only  staminate 
forms  consistently. 


istillate  Constants 

Staminate  Constants 

Staminate  Sporadics 

Hachiya 

Gailey 

Okame 

Tanenashi 

Masugata  (probably) 

TaberNo.    23 

Hyakurne 

Siang  (S.  P.  I.  21910) 

Taber  No.  129 

Tamopan 

Miyotan   (S.  P.  I.  47323) 

Tsuru 

S.P.I.  27037 

Costata 

Yemon 

Yeddo  Ichi 

Zengi 

Phelps 

Triumph 

As  a  result  of  these  discoveries  concerning  persimmon  flowers,  the 
difficulty  of  setting  satisfactory  crops  in  the  southern  states  has  been 
largely  overcome  by  the  use  of  the  Gailey  variety,  which  produces  an 
abundant  supply  of  staminate  flowers  annually.  More  recently  a 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  introduction,  the  Miyotan 
(S.  P.  I.  47323),  has  been  found  to  be  an  excellent  pollenizer. 

While  the  problem  of  pollination  is  important  in  the  southern 
states,  experience  in  California  has  amply  demonstrated  that  it  is  not 
of  particular  importance  here.  The  Hachiya,  the  best  commercial 
variety,  sets  fruit  readily  without  pollination — hence  they  are  usually 
seedless.  In  mixed  plantings  where  pollination  sometimes  occurs 
seeded  fruits  are  frequently  produced.  These  are  certainly  not 
superior  to  the  seedless  fruits  and  in  the  opinion  of  many  are  dis- 
tinctly inferior  in  quality.  Black,  discolored  areas  immediately  sur- 
rounding some  of  the  seeds  are  frequently  found,  which  are  apparently 


12  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

caused  by  the  influence  of  pollination  and  by  many  these  are  con- 
sidered objectionable.  The  consensus  of  opinion  of  the  California 
growers  is  that  the  Hachiy a  variety  should  be  grown  as  a  seedless 
fruit.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  the  other  varieties  grown  in  California 
exhibit  a  tendency  to  overbearing  rather  than  the  reverse.  The  plant- 
ing of  staminate  trees  in  California,  therefore,  does  not  appear  to  be 
justified,  and  pollination  can  probably  be  ignored  as  a  problem  that 
must  be  considered  in  planting  commercial  orchards. 

The  fruit  of  the  Oriental  persimmon  shows  wide  variation  in  all 
its  principal  characteristics.  In  shape  it  varies  from  broad  oblate  to 
slender  conical,  including  all  shapes  intermediate.  In  cross  section 
gradations  from  circular  to  quadrangular  are  found.  The  surface, 
commonly  smooth,  is  in  some  varieties  marked  by  from  four  to  eight 
shallow  to  deep  grooves  running  lengthwise  of  the  fruit.  In  some 
varieties,  notably  Tamopan,  an  equatorial  construction  circles  the  fruit 
in  a  characteristic  manner.  Other  varieties  are  characterized  by  the 
presence  of  more  or  less  prominent  basal  lobes  under  the  sepals  and 
this  character  is  of  assistance  in  the  identification  of  some  varieties. 
Saburoza  is  the  only  one  of  this  group  that  is  found  commonly  in 
California,  although  Tanenashi  sometimes  exhibits  this  characteristic 
to  a  slight  degree.  Some  varieties  possess  the  same  type  of  structure 
present  in  the  navel  orange,  a  more  or  less  clearly  defined  secondary 
fruit  within  the  primary.  This  is  particularly  recognized  in  the 
variety  Futaya,  this  word  in  Japanese  meaning  " double." 

The  apex  of  the  fruit  may  be  pointed,  rounded,  flat  or  depressed, 
the  pointed  apex  being  a  distinct  disadvantage  in  packing  because 
of  the  greater  possibility  of  injury.  The  base  may  be  depressed, 
flattened,  or  projected  beneath  the  calyx  lobes. 

The  fruit  varies  notably  in  size,  Zengi  frequently  having  a  diameter 
of  not  to  exceed  l1/^  inches.  Hachiya  fruits  are  usually  from  three  to 
four  inches  in  length  and  from  two  to  three  inches  in  diameter  and 
frequently  weight  a  pound  or  more.  Tamopan  fruits  sometimes  have 
a  diameter  of  from  four  to  six  inches. 

The  skin  of  the  fruit  varies  much  in  thickness.  In  Hachiya  it  is 
thin  and  almost  transparent,  and  tender  when  the  fruit  is  mature, 
which  makes  handling  difficult  when  the  fruit  is  soft.  The  skin  of 
Tamopan  is  thick  and  tough,  permitting  rather  rough  handling  even 
when  the  flesh  has  become  exceedingly  soft.  The  color  of  the  fruit 
varies  from  a  yellowish-orange  to  a  deep,  tomato  red.  Many  varieties 
are  marked  by  finely  penciled,  dark  lines  circling  the  apex  and 
extending  irregularly  down  the  sides. 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


13 


The  flesh  is  soft  when  ripe,  in  some  varieties  almost  liquid,  though 
dry  and  mealy  in  Tanenashi.  It  is  yellow-orange  in  color  in  some 
varieties  and  red-orange  in  others.  The  flesh  of  many  varieties  is 
colored  by  a  varying  number  of  small,  brownish  specks,  caused  by  the 
presence  of  tannin  bodies.  The  number  is  sufficiently  great  in  some 
fruits  to  give  the  flesh  a  decided  chocolate  color.  The  relation  of 
pollination  to  these  color  characteristics  will  be  discussed  in  another 
section. 

While  as  many  as  eight  elliptic,  thin,  dark  brown  seeds  may  be 
found,  usually  the  number  that  develops  is  fewer  and  seedless  fruits 
are  common,  particularly  in  Tanenashi  and  Hachiya. 

TABLE  2 
Analyses  of  Persimmons 


Large  seedling,  edible  portion. 
Large  seedling,  as  purchased... 

Tanenashi,  edible  portion 

Tanenashi,  as  purchased 

Yemon,  edible  portion 

Yemon,  as  purchased 

Average,  edible  portion 

Average,  as  purchased 


Percentage  composition 


Refuse 


22.40 


1.88 
30.7 
23.97 


Water 


77.04 

59.77 
81.93 
66.53 
81.66 
56.59 
80.21 
60.96 


Pro- 
tein 


1.61 
1.25 

1.16 
.94 

1.32 
.92 

1.36 

1.04 


Fat 


31 
25 
55 
45 

85 
59 
57 
43 


Carbohydrates 


Starch, 

sugar, 

etc. 


19.39 
15.05 
12.81 
10.40 
13.19 
9.14 
15.13 
11.53 


Crude 
fiber 


.93 
.72 
2.93 
2.38 
2.37 
1.64 
2.08 
1.58 


Ash 


.72 
.56 
.62 
.50 
.61 
.42 
.65 
.49 


Analyses  of  Persimmons. — The  composition  of  the  persimmon  fruit 
has  been  studied  by  several  investigators.  The  analyses  given  in 
table  2  were  made  and  published  in  1903  by  the  California  Experiment 
Station.  Earlier,  in  1899,  McBryde4  made  a  study  of  the  persimmon 
and  its  chemical  composition  and  was  unable  to  detect  any  trace  of 
cane  sugar  in  the  large  amount  of  total  sugar  present,  all  of  it  being 
in  the  form  of  glucose.  The  total  amount  of  sugar  present  exceeds 
that  of  a  number  of  the  common  fresh  fruits,  including  the  apricot, 
plum  and  peach. 


4  McBryde,   J.   B.      Persimmons ;    notes   on   the   chemistry   of   the   persimmon. 
Tennessee" Agr.  Sta.  Bui.  43:220-223.     1899. 


14  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


ASTRINGENCY 

The  quality  called  "pucker"  lias  long  been  associated  with  the 
persimmon  fruit,  indeed  it  has  been  largely  influential  in  limiting 
the  popular  favor  to  which  the  fruit  is  entitled.  This  astringency  is 
caused  by  the  presence  of  tannin.  Much  study  has  been  given  to  the 
behavior  of  the  tannin  in  the  ripening  process,  during  which  its 
undesirable  effects  disappear.  At  first  it  was  supposed  that  the 
astringency  was  due  to  the  presence  of  soluble  tannin  which  became 
insoluble  as  the  fruit  ripened.  Lloyd5  has  shown  that  this  theory  is 
not  in  accord  with  the  true  behavior  of  the  tannin  masses  within  the 
fruit,  but  that  apparently  the  tannin  is  associated  with  a  carrier  of  a 
colloidal  nature  with  which  it  completely  unites  during  the  ripening 
and  softening  process  when  its  power  to  cause  astringency  is  removed. 
This  absorbed  tannin  undergoes  oxidation  in  some  varieties  and 
appears  as  red-brown  flecks  scattered  through  the  flesh,  as  is  the  case 
in  the  so-called  "sweet"  varieties.  In  these  varieties  the  oxidation 
takes  place  before  the  fruit  becomes  soft,  thus  permitting  them  to  be 
eaten  while  still  firm.  In  some  manner  not  yet  fully  explained,  this 
oxidation  is  associated  with  the  process  of  pollination  and  the  physio- 
logical changes  resulting  therefrom.  In  certain  varieties  this  oxidation 
always  takes  place  after  pollination,  the  flesh  becoming  chocolate- 
colored  and  the  fruit  puckerless ;  other  varieties,  notably  Fuyu,  Jiro, 
and  several  others,  remain  puckerless  even  though  the  flesh  does  not 
change  color  materially ;  while  in  still  other  varieties  the  development 
of  seeds  has  no  effect  on  the  quality  of  astringency,  the  fruit  remain- 
ing puckery  until  the  ripening  process  is  complete.  Hume6  believes 
that  this  peculiar  behavior  may  indicate  a  mixing  of  species  in  ancient 
times,  with  the  present  widely  varying  behavior  of  the  different  varie- 
ties as  a  result.  The  processing  of  the  fruit  to  remove  this  astringency 
will  be  discussed  in  another  section. 


5  Lloyd,  Francis  E.     The  behavior   of  tannin   in   persimmons.     Plant  World, 
14:1-14.     1911. 

e  Hume,  H.  H.     A  JcaM  classification.     Jour.  Heredity  5:400-406.     1914. 


BUL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  15 


VARIETIES 

Systems  of  Classification 

From  the  time  of  the  first  importation  of  nursery  stock  from  Japan, 
there  has  been  an  almost  hopeless  confusion  in  the  names  of  persimmon 
varieties.  This  has  resulted  partly  from  the  carelessness  of  the 
exporters,  orders  having"  been  filled,  apparently,  from  any  stock  that 
happened  to  be  on  hand.  On  the  other  hand,  a  condition  of  great 
confusion  and  duplication  in  nomenclature  exists  in  Japan,  different 
communities  and  different  sections  of  the  country  having  different 
names  for  the  same  variety.  This  partially  explains  the  more  than 
eight  hundred  named  varieties  which,  according  to  Ikeda,7  are  to  be 
found  in  that  country. 

Varieties  that  are  clear-fleshed  and  seedless  in  one  section  have 
sometimes  proved  to  be  seeded  and  dark-fleshed  in  another.  Several 
early  attempts  at  an  adequate  classification  are  on  record.  The  old 
Japanese  system  based  upon  sweetness  or  astringency  is  obviously 
unsatisfactory,  because  a  variety  may  be  in  one  group  in  one  locality 
and  in  another  in  a  different  part  of  the  country.  One  of  the  first 
horticultural  schemes  of  classification  was  that  proposed  by  Hume8  in 
1904  in  which  all  varieties  were  grouped  into  three  classes — dark- 
fleshed,  mixed  light  and  dark,  and  light-fleshed — according  the  color 
of  the  flesh.  This  classification  is  untenable,  however,  because  as  pre- 
viously indicated,  the  changes  in  the  color  of  the  flesh  of  certain 
varieties  are  now  known  to  be  an  effect  of  pollination  . 

Later  studies  have  shown  that  all  of  the  varieties  grown  in  the 
United  States  are  light-fleshed  when  seedless,  but  when  seeds  are 
present  some  are  wholly  or  partially  dark-fleshed,  according  to  the 
number  of  seeds  that  develop.  Based  upon  these  studies,  Hume9  later 
proposed  a  new  classification  which  is  still  accepted  as  the  most  satis- 
tactory  yet  presented.  Those  varieties  which  experience  no  change  of 
flesh  color  when  pollinated  and  seeds  develop  are  designed  as  pollina- 
tion constants;  those  which  are  light-fleshed  when  seedless  but  dark- 
fleshed  when  seeded  are  designated  as  pollination  variants.  No  varie- 
ties have  yet  been  found  which  are  dark-fleshed  both  when  seeded 


"Ikeda,  T.     The  fruit  culture  of  Japan.     (No  date.) 

s  Hume,  II.  H.,  and  F.  C.  Eeimer.     Japanese    persimmons.     Florida  Agr.  Exp. 
Sta.  Bui.  71:65-112.     1904. 

9  Hume,  H.  H.     A    lcdki  classification.     Jour.  Heredity  5:400-406.     1914. 


16  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fig.    2. — Two    types    of   Hachiya    fruits    commonly    found   in    the    markets 
A;  Broad  type  thought  to  be  the  Fuji.     B,  Standard  or  true  Hachiya. 


Bul.  416]  the   ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  17 

or  seedless ;  hence  no  division  of  the  pollination  constants  group  has 
been  necessary  to  separate  the  light  and  dark-fleshed  varieties.  While 
as  a  general  rule  all  varieties  of  the  Oriental  persimmon  are  light- 
fleshed  when  seedless,  exceptions  to  the  rule  have  been  noted.  Condit10 
reports  the  presence  of  cinnamon-colored  flesh  in  seedless  fruits  which 
were  believed  to  be  of  the  Tsuronoko  variety. 

Under  the  classification  just  described,  the  better  known  varieties 
of  the  Oriental  persimmon  grown  in  California  may  be  grouped  as 
follows : 

Pollination  Constants  (light-fleshed  when  seeded  or  seedless) 
Haehiya  Tsuru  Ormond 

Tanenashi  Costata  Fuyu 

Tamo  pan 

Pollination  Variants  (light-fleshed  when  seedless,  dark-fleshed  when  seeded) 
Hyakume  Gosho  Yemon 

Yeddo  Ichi  Maru  Okame 

Zengi 

Commercial  Varieties 

As  a  result  of  the  early  importations,  California  fruit  growers 
planted  a  large  number  of  different  persimmon  varieties,  and  although 
there  has  been  a  great  reduction  in  the  number  of  varieties  planted 
in  more  recent  years,  there  are  still  far  too  many  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  industry.  The  most  important  of  these,  both  in  point  of  acreage 
planted  and  popularity  with  both  the  buyers  and  the  public,  is  the 
large-fruited,  highly  colored  Haehiya  (figs.  2  and  3).  It  is  by  far  the 
most  important  variety  in  both  northern  and  southern  California,  the 
newer  plantings  being  composed  almost  exclusively  of  this  variety. 

Next  in  importance  is  Hyakume  (fig.  3)  ripening  later  than  the 
Haehiya  and  less  attractive  because  of  its  dull,  mottled,  yellow  appear- 
ance. This  variety  is  grown  to  a  large  extent  in  Placer  County  and 
to  a  lesser  extent  in  southern  California. 

Grouped  under  the  general  name  of  Maru  (fig.  3)  a  number  of 
medium  to  small-fruited,  round  varieties  are  to  be  found  in  the  older 
plantings — the  name  Maru  being  more  properly  a  group  or  class  name 
than  that  of  any  specific  variety.  A  separation  of  the  different  varie- 
ties marketed  under  this  name  is  hardly  possible.  Yemon,  Okame, 
and  Yeddo  Ichi  are  all  marketed  in  small  amounts  and  to  a  still  less 
degree  Gosho,  Tsuru,  and  the  more  recently  introduced  Tamopan 
(figs.  3  and  4). 


10  Condit,  I.  J.     The  kaki  or  Oriental  persimmon.     California  Exp.  Sta.  Bul. 
316:229-266.     1919. 


18 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Tanenashi  (fig.  5)  formerly  occupied  a  more  important  place  than 
it  does  now  in  the  state,  though  it  offers  more  promise  in  the  Imperial 
Valley  than  other  varieties.  The  experience  of  growers  in  the  southern 
states  has  been  somewhat  different  from  that  of  growers  in  California. 
There,  Hachiya  has  not  proved  as  satisfactory  as  Tanenashi,  which  is 


Tamopan 


Nam 


Hyakume 


Hachiya 


Fig.  3. — Four  of  the  principal  varieties  of  persimmons  grown  in  California, 
showing  comparative  size  and  shape  of  the  fruits. 


the  present  ruling  market  favorite.  Two  varieties  originating  in  the 
south  have  also  been  planted  to  a  considerable  extent — Lone  Star, 
originating  in  Texas  and  Triumph,  in  Florida.  Many  other  varieties 
are  to  be  found  in  the  persimmon  districts  of  the  South  as  in  California 
and  in  the  same  way  add  to  the  problem  of  marketing. 


BUL.  416]  TI1E    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


19 


Fig.  4. — Promising  new  persimmon  varieties.     A,  Fuyu.     B,  Godbey  Seedless. 

C,  Tamopan. 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fig.  5. — The  Tanenashi  variety.     Natural  size. 


BUL.  416]  THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  21 

In  the  past  two  or  three  years  a  new  variety  has  been  planted  to  a 
considerable  extent  both  in  California  and  the  South — Fuyu  (figs.  4 
and  6),  a  yellow-fleshed,  non-astringent  persimmon  that  does  not 
depend  upon  pollination  to  make  it  non-astringent  when  hard.  Where- 
ever  the  fruit  has  been  tried  it  has  excited  interest  and  favorable 
comment  and  the  demand  for  trees  has  far  exceeded  the  supply.  The 
variety  was  introduced  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture from  Japan.  With  the  exception  of  Hachiya,  in  California, 
Fuyu  is  now  the  only  variety,  trees  of  which  are  in  demand. 

The  shipment  of  mixed  lots  of  misnamed  or  unnamed  and  undesir- 
able persimmon  varieties  has  been  a  serious  handicap  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  industry  in  California.  In  view  of  the  very  evident  pre- 
ference of  the  dealers  and  the  buying  public  for  a  few  known  varieties, 
the  elimination  of  all  others  would  undoubtedly  prove  to  be  of  a 
great  benefit  to  the  industry.  Such  elimination  would  not  be  difficult 
if  only  the  growers  could  be  convinced  of  the  benefits.  The  trees  are 
easily  topworked  and  the  change  could  be  made  in  the  existing 
orchards  without  any  great  loss.  The  increase  in  returns  from  the 
premiums  paid  for  the  better  varieties  should  more  than  make  up 
for  the  loss  of  a  few  crops  while  the  topworked  trees  are  coming  into 
bearing. 

As  a  step  in  the  direction  of  standardization  of  varieties,  the 
Persimmon  Growers  Department  of  the  Southern  Counties  Farm 
Bureaus  in  1923  appointed  a  committee  to  study  the  varieties  now 
being  grown,  as  well  as  those  now  under  trial  by  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  After  careful  investigation  this  com- 
mittee recommended  three  varieties  for  commercial  planting  and  two 
varieties  for  further  trial.  This  report  was  adopted  and  is  now  being 
made  the  basis  of  a  campaign  for  the  top-working  of  off-types  and  of 
poor  varieties  to  the  standard  recommended  sorts.  Part  of  the  report 
of  this  committee  is  as  follows : 

The  following  three  varieties  are  recommended  for  commercial  planting  in  the 
order  named,  and  a  brief  outline  of  their  merits  and  drawbacks  are  presented 
herewith. 

1.  Hachiya. — Of  all  the  persimmon  varieties  now  grown  or  known  in  California 
this  variety  stands  in  a  class  by  itself  and  is  by  far  the  most  popular  and  is  to 
be  recommennded  above  all  others  [figs.  2  and  3]. 

Merits. — Its  large  size,  high  color,  and  distinctive  shape  are  already  known  and 
recognized  by  the  trade  and  by  the  consuming  public.  The  fruit  ripens  uniformly 
and  is  ordinarily  seedless,  with  a  clear  yellow  flesh  whether  needs  are  present  or 
not.     The  flavor  is  exceedingly  rich  and  pleasant. 

Drawbacks. — The  tree  is  a  light  bearer  in  some  sections.  When  pollinated, 
black  areas  sometimes   occur   around  the   seeds  which,  while   apparently   normal, 


22  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


^^  % 


) 


Fig.  6. — The  Fuyu  variety. 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


23 


give  the  fruit  a  distasteful  appearance  when  cut.  The  large  gelatinous  membrane 
surrounding  the  seeds  when  present  or  occupying  the  core  of  the  fruit  when  seeds 
are  absent,  is  objectionable  to  some  people.  The  skin  is  thin  and  breaks  rather 
easily.  There  appear  to  be  several  strains,  of  which  some  are  much  less  desirable 
than  the  standard  variety. 

The  tree. — The  tree  is  the  best  growing  of  any  of  the  varieties.     It  makes  a 
strong  growing,  well  developed  framework  and  has  a  well  spread  top  [fig.  7]. 


if 

■lb/' 

Fig.  7. — A  tree  of  the  Hachiya  variety.  When  19  years  old  (1925)  this 
tree,  located  at  the  Chico  Plant  Introduction  Garden,  produced  1120  pounds  of 
marketable  fruit. 


2.  Tanenashi. — This  variety  is  the  most  popular  one  grown  in  the  southern 
states  where  it  succeeds  better  than  Hachiya  [fig.  5]. 

Merits. — The  fruit  remains  on  the  tree  a  little  later  than  the  Hachiya  and  the 
variety  is  apparently  a  surer  bearer  except  in  the  more  favorable  districts.  The 
skin  is  tougher  than  that  of  the  Hachiya.  The  flesh  is  firmer  and  the  fruit  dries 
in  a  more  satisfactory  manner.    It  is  of  large  size  and  ships  well. 

Drawbacks. — The  fruit  is  not  so  high  in  quality  as  the  Hachiya.  The  color  is 
not  so  deep  nor  so  attractive.  The  flesh  is  somewhat  dry  and  mealy  and  while 
preferred  by  some  for  eating  with  sugar  and  cream,  it  is  ordinarily  not  so  well 
liked  as  that  of  the  Hachiya.  The  fruit  is  subject  to  a  defect  at  the  stem  end; 
in  many  fruits  an  opening  forms  exposing  the  core  to  mold.  The  tree  is  not  quite 
so  vigorous  or  satisfactory  a  grower  as  the  Hachiya  [fig.  8]. 

3.  Hyakume. — This  variety  is  next  to  the  Hachiya  in  popularity  in  Placer 
County  but  is  not  favored  in  southern  California  [fig.  3]. 


24 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 


Merits. — The  fruit  has  very  good  flavor  and  quality  with  a  fairly  thick  skin. 
It  is  a  good  shipper  and  is  later  in  season  than  the  Hachiya,  and  consequently 
may  be  held  later  for  marketing. 

Drawbacks. — The  color  of  the  fruit  is  poor,  frequently  blotched  with  dark 
brown.  Ripening  is  not  very  even,  giving  the  fruit  rather  an  unattractive  appear- 
ance on  the  market.     The  flavor  and  quality  is  not  so  good  as  Hachiya. 

The  tree. — The  tree  is  a  poor  grower,  being  upright  in  habit  with  weak  laterals 
which  tend  to  break  and  does  not  reach  the  size  attained  by  Hachiya  [fig.  9]. 


Fig.  8. — A  tree  of  the  Tanenashi  variety. 


Varieties  Recommended  for  Further  Trial 

1.  Tamopan  [fig.  4]. — 

Merits. — The  fruit  is  late  in  season  and  meets  the  requirements  for  the  holiday 
trade.  It  is  large  and  has  a  distinctive  shape  differing  from  most  other  varieties, 
being  marked  by  a  constriction  from  a  quarter  to  halfway  down  on  the  fruit. 
This  skin  is  unusually  tough  and  will  hold  its  shape,  making  a  natural  cup  from 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


25 


which  the  pulp  can  be  spooned,  even  when  the  fruit  is  fully  ripe  and  the  flesh  is 
almost  of  a  watery  consistency.  The  quality  is  very  good,  not  quite  as  rich  as 
the  Hachiya  but  more  pleasing  to  some. 

Drawbacks. — The  tree  is  a  light  bearer  in  some  sections  but  has  not  been  tested 
sufficiently  for  final  opinion. 


Fig. 


-A  tree  of  the  Hyakume  variety. 


The  tree. — An  upright,  vigorous  grower,  not  so  spreading  as  the  Hachiya,  but 
making  a  very  satisfactory  top,  able  to  carry  abundant  crops  [fig.  10]. 

2.  Fuyu  [figs.  4  and  6]. — 

Merits. — The  fruit  has  a  high  color  and  a  round  fiat  shape  which  makes  it  pack 
well.  Its  non-astringent  qualities  commend  it  to  many  people  and  its  rather  pleas- 
ing flavor  also  recommends  it.  The  tree  is  a  good  bearer  and  is  a  vigorous  grower 
[fig.  11].  The  variety  has  not  been  tested  in  southern  California  sufficiently  to 
determine  its  adaptation  and  the  fruit  is  not  known  to  the  trade  nor  to  the 
consuming  public.    The  fruit  also  contains  a  number  of  rather  large  seeds. 


26 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fruit  Descriptions 

Abbreviated  technical  descriptions  of  the  more  important  and 
better  known  varieties  are  here  given.  These  have  already  appeared 
in  complete  form  as  indicated  and  may  be  referred  to  in  the  event  that 
more  detailed  descriptions  are  desired. 


Fig.  10. — A  tree  of  the  Tamopan  variety. 


Hachiya  (figs.  2,  3  ,and  7). — Fruit  very  large,  oblong-conical,  usually  deep 
orange-red,  very  attractive ;  surface  glossy ;  flesh  astringent  until  soft ;  sweet,  rich, 
excellent  in  quality;  usually  seedless;  the  leading  commercial  variety,  although 
regarded  as  a  light  bearer  in  some  sections;  often  bearing  heavily  in  alternate 
years.  Season  medium.  Especially  fine  in  Orange  County.  Colored  plate  and 
description  in  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  Yearbook  for  1887,  p.  644. 
Probably  identical  with  Fuji  of  Japan. 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


27 


Hyalcume  (figs.  3  and  9). — Fruit  medium  to  large,  mostly  four-angled;  color 
light  orange,  often  mottled  or  dappled  and  unattractive  at  maturity;  brown 
when  soft;  surface  glossy,  usually  with  fine  russet  lines  around  the  apex  and 
down  the  sides;  flesh  dark  cinnamon  color  when  seeded;  sweet,  moderately 
rich;  quality  very  good;  keeping  quality  excellent.  Season  medium.  Colored 
plate  and  description  in  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  Yearbook  for 
1880,  p.  450. 


Fig.  11. — A  tree  of  the  Fuyu  variety. 

Tunenashi  (figs.  5  and  8). — Fruit  large,  broadly  conical,  tapering  gradually 
upward  from  near  the  base;  color  light  orange-red;  surface  fairly  glossy, 
smooth,  with  distinct  areolations  visible  through  the  skin;  flesh  astringent 
until  soft,  characteristically  mealy  or  pastry;  of  very  good  quality;  practically 
always  seedless;  fruits  often  defective  at  the  core,  with  an  opening  under  the 
calyx  exposing  the  interior  to  dust,  dirt,  and  mold.  Season  medium.  Trees 
bear  heavily  in  alternate  years.  Colored  plate  and  description  in  U.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  Yearbook  for  1887,  p.  644. 


28  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Fuyu  (figs.  4,  6,  and  11). — Fruit  medium  to  large,  indistinctly  quadrangular; 
color  deep  tomato-red,  attractive;  surface  fairly  glossy;  flesh  light  orange, 
fairly  rich;  perfectly  non-astringent  even  when  seedless  and  firm;  quality  very 
good;  seeds  few  or  none.  Above  description  refers  to  fruit  produced  on  tree  at 
Plant  Introduction  Gardens,  Chico,  imported  under  S.P.I.  No.  26491.  A  very 
promising  variety.  Fruits  of  S.P.I.  No.  32868  are  very  similar  if  not  identical. 
S.P.  I.  No.  26733  has  fruited  in  Florida  and  is  regarded  as  the  most  promising 
variety  yet  tested.  Trees  of  the  same  number  have  fruited  at  Mountain  View, 
California,  the  fruits  being  entirely  non-astringent.  It  was  introduced  under 
the  name  Fuyugaki. 

Tamopan  (figs.  4  and  10). — Fruit  very  large,  often  from  three  to  five  inches 
in  diameter  and  sometimes  over  a  pound  in  weight;  usually  more  or  less  quad- 
rangular with  a  prominent  equatorial  constriction  or  crease  below  the  middle; 
color  light  red-orange  changing  little  at  maturity;  skin  thick  and  tough, 
enabling  one  to  eat  the  flesh  with  a  spoon  from  the  half  shell;  flesh  light 
orange,  very  juicy,  stringy,  mostly  astringent  until  soft,  fairly  rich;  quality 
very  good;  usually  seedless.  Season  medium.  Tree  hardy,  vigorous,  productive. 
First  introduced  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  from  China 
in  1905. 

Maru  (fig.  3)/ — Fruit  medium  with  a  broad,  rounded  apex;  color  orange-red, 
attractive;  surface  somewhat  glossy,  with  heavy  bloom;  flesh  dark  cinnamon 
when  seeded,  very  sweet,  rich;  quality  excellent.  Tree  a  regular  heavy  producer 
in  Placer  County;  season  medium. 

The  name  Maru,  meaning  round,  is  used  as  a  suffix  of  several  variety  names 
such  as  Zengi-maru,  Daidai-maru  and  Sagami-maru,  signifying  that  the  fruits 
have  a  general  roundish  form.  The  name  should  properly  be  used,  therefore, 
as  a  type  rather  than  a  variety  name.     The  same  is  true  of  the  name  "Kineri. " 

Saburoza. — Fruit  small  to  medium,  characterized  by  four  prominent  lobes  or 
' '  seats ' '  extending  beyond  the  calyx ;  color  very  dark  tomato-red,  very  attractive ; 
surface  glossy ;  flesh  very  dark  cinnamon  when  seeded,  sweet,  rich ;  quality  excellent. 
Illustrated  and  described  in  the  California  Cultivator,  January  28,  1915. 

Tsuru. — Fruit  oblong-cylindrical  with  rounded  apex;  longer  in  proportion  to 
its  size  than  any  other  variety;  color  bright  orange-red,  attractive;  skin  smooth, 
glossy,  rather  thick,  granular;  flesh  astringent  until  soft,  often  failing  to  ripen 
uniformly;  quality  good;  usually  seedless.  Season  late.  Fruit  especially  sought 
after  by  Orientals.  Colored  plate  and  description  in  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture  Yearbook  for  1890,  p.  423. 

The  Costata  illustrated  and  described  in  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
Yearbook  for  1892,  p.  265;  the  Ormond  (Yearbook  for  1912,  p.  270,  271);  and 
probably  the  Yama  Tsuru  (Yearbook  for  1891,  p.  387)  belong  to  the  same 
group  as  the  Tsuru.  , 

Yeddo  Iclii. — Fruit  often  more  roundish  than  flattened,  medium,  apex  slightly 
depressed  at  center;  color  very  dark  tomato-red,  attractive;  surface  somewhat 
glossy,  usually  marked  with  fine  penciled  lines  around  the  apex;  flesh  very 
dark  cinnamon  when  seeded,  sweet,  rich;  quality  excellent.  Colored  plate  and 
description  in  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  Yearbook  for  1889,  p.  450. 

Yemon. — Fruit  medium,  decidedly  flattened  and  quadrangular  color  light 
orange-red;  surface  somewhat  glossy  with  a  heavy  ashy-gray  bloom;  flesh  cin- 
namon when  seeded,  sweet,  fairly  rich;  quality  good.  Season  late.  Tree  a  very 
heavy,  regular  producer.  Seedless  specimens  illustrated  in  color  and  described 
in  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  Yearbook  for  1887,  p.  644. 


BUL.  416]  THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  29 

The  Yama  Yemon  is  very  similar  to  the  Yemon,  but  generally  larger,  earlier 
and  often  furrowed  on  the  four  sides. 

Zengi. — Fruit  small;  color  dark  orange  red,  attractive;  surface  glossy,  often 
marked  with  russet  lines  around  the  apex;  flesh  very  dark,  almost  black  when 
seeded,  sweet,  rich;  quality  very  good.  Season  early.  Fruit  too  small  for 
commercial  use.  The  Gailey,  Taber's  129,  and  Miyotan,  grown  in  the  southern 
states  belong  to  this  group. 


CLIMATIC  REQUIREMENTS 

Temperature 

The  Oriental  persimmon  is  distinctly  a  subtropical  fruit.  While 
it  is  found  in  the  northern  part  of  the  mainland  of  Japan,  and  with- 
stands zero  weather  in  China,  it  does  not  reach  the  perfection  there 
that  it  does  in  the  milder,  southern  parts  of  these  countries.  In 
the  United  States  it  has  failed  to  grow  satisfactorily  as  far  north  as 
Washington,  D.  C,  and,  as  has  been  indicated,  is  suited  only  to  the 
states  of  the  cotton  belt  and  to  California.  This  is  also  the  experience 
in  Europe  where  its  finds  a  congenial  home  only  along  the  shores  of 
the  Mediterranean.  In  general  the  persimmon  may  be  said  to  be 
limited  to  the  same  climatic  zone  as  the  fig ;  however,  the  same  amount 
of  high  summer  heat  and  lack  of  humidity  are  not  required  to  mature 
the  fruit,  as  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  in  California  excellent 
quality  fruit  is  produced  in  the  coastal  belt  of  southern  California 
where  the  humidity  is  commonly  high  and  the  daily  temperature  range 
much  lower  than  in  the  interior  regions.  The  season  of  ripening  in 
the  cooler  districts  of  the  state  is  somewhat  later  than  in  the  interior 
valleys,  but  as  the  fruit  is  grown  primarily  for  the  holiday  trade  this 
is  a  distinct  advantage. 

With  the  exception  of  the  foothill  areas,  the  persimmon  has  not 
been  tested  as  thoroughly  in  the  hotter  interior  sections  as  it  has  in 
other  parts  of  the  state,  and  its  behavior  in  these  regions  is  not  as 
well  known.  Trees  are  bearing  in  the  Imperial  Valley  and  in  the 
south  San  Joaquin  Valley.  The  poor  showing  made  by  some  of  these 
plantings  may  possibly  be  caused  by  lack  of  sufficient  irrigation  rather 
than  by  intense  heat  and  dryness  of  the  atmosphere.  Observations 
made  by  Packard11  on  the  behavior  of  the  persimmon  in  the  Imperial 
Valley  indicate  that  the  trees  are  quite  sensitive  to  dry  heat,  but  if 
adequate  protection  be  given  against  sunburn,  satisfactory  growth  is 
made  and  good  crops 'are  produced  although  sunburning  of  the  fruit 
is  common. 


11  Packard,  Walter  E.     Agriculture  in  the  Imperial  Valley — A  manual  for 
settlers.     California  Exp.  Sta.  Cir.  159:1-71.     1917. 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Late  spring-  frosts  are  a  limiting  factor  in  the  mountain  valleys  of 
the  foothill  belt,  occasional  losses  having  been  recorded  in  Placer 
County.  Ordinarily  such  damage  is  confined  to  the  trees  on  the  bottom 
lands.  Loss  of  the  crop  was  reported  at  the  Jackson  sub-station  in 
1898  because  of  frost  damage  to  the  flower  buds.  Losses  from  this 
cause  could  undoubtedly  be  eliminated  or  greatly  reduced  by  means  of 
orchard  heating  such  as  is  practiced  with  other  deciduous  fruits. 

Rainfall 

No  data  are  available  concerning  the  maximum  and  the  minimum 
amounts  of  water  required  to  grow  the  persimmon.  In  general  it  may 
be  said  that  it  requires  at  least  as  much  as  do  other  deciduous  fruits 
grown  in  California.  Experience  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state, 
where  the  trees  have  been  interset  in  citrus  orchards,  indicates  that 
superior  yields  are  obtained  when  amounts  of  water  are  used  equal 
to  those  required  for  the  citrus  fruits.  On  this  basis  the  water  require- 
ment may  be  said  to  range  from  36  to  45  inches  annually,  including 
rainfall. 

Wind 

While  the  persimmon  tree  will  withstand  considerable  wind,  obser- 
vations made  on  plantings  in  sections  where  fall  winds  occur  fre- 
quently indicate  that  there  is  considerable  loss  through  the  scarring 
of  fruit  at  about  the  time  of  maturity.  If  severe  winds  are  experi- 
enced reduction  in  the  quality  of  much  of  the  crop  is  likely  to  occur. 
The  use  of  windbreaks  is  recommended  in  regions  where  winds  are 
prevalent  and  staking  of  young  trees  is  important  in  districts  where 
there  are  prevailing  winds,  however  light. 

Humidity 

The  persimmon  is  grown  in  California  under  a  wide  range  of 
atmospheric  humidit}^.  Where  the  irrigation  practice  is  good  the  trees 
produce  crops  even  in  extremely  arid  regions.  Since  fair  crops  are 
produced  throughout  the  great  interior  valleys,  humidity  cannot  be 
considered  as  of  especial  importance  if  other  environmental  condi- 
tions are  satisfactory.  However  ,in  the  coastal  belt,  particularly  in 
the  southerly  part  of  the  state,  where  fogs  are  more  frequent  and  the 
humidity  higher,  the  tree  seems  to  thrive  especially  well,  and  here  the 
largest  tree  growth  is  found.  This  is  probably  as  much  a  result  of  the 
deeper  soils  and  better  cultural  practices  employed,  however,  as  of 
differences  in  atmospheric  humidity. 


Bul.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  31 


PERSIMMON  DISTRICTS  IN  CALIFORNIA 

As  previously  mentioned,  the  Oriental  persimmon  was  widely 
scattered  throughout  California  in  the  early  days.  Plantings,  many 
of  which  still  exist,  were  made  in  Butte,  Napa,  Solano,  Placer,  Tulare, 
Kern,  Santa  Barbara,  Ventura,  Los  Angeles,  Orange,  and  Riverside 
counties.  In  only  a  few  regions,  however,  has  any  considerable  expan- 
sion of  plantings  taken  place.  In  northern  California  the  principal 
persimmon-producing  district  is  Placer  County,  while  in  southern 
California  the  main  plantings  are  in  Santa  Barbara,  Ventura,  Orange, 
and  Los  Angeles  counties. 

In  Placer  County  the  development  of  persimmon  plantings  has 
been  incidental  to  the  more  extensive  plantings  of  shipping  plums, 
pears,  and  grapes.  The  persimmon  early  proved  its  ability  to  with- 
stand adverse  soil  conditions,  and  when  other  deciduous  fruit  trees 
died,  particularly  in  the  poorly  drained  and  cold  mountain  valley 
bottoms,  persimmon  trees  were  planted  in  their  places.  The  result 
has  been  that  much  of  the  persimmon  acreage  there  is  in  small  plant- 
ings, parts  of  or  interplanted  in  other  fruit  orchards.  The  total 
acreage  in  Placer  County  planted  to  persimmons  is  about  125,  accord- 
ing to  the  latest  figures  available.  Many  of  the  trees  are  situated  on 
hillsides  when  the  soil  is  shallow  and  where  cultural  practices  are 
difficult.  Under  these  conditions  the  trees  have  not  made  the  growth 
which  is  attained  under  more  favorable  conditions,  but  they  bear 
good  crops  consistently ;  in  fact  show  a  marked  tendency  to  over- 
bearing. Most  of  the  northern  California  plantings  were  made  prior 
to  the  Federal  quarantine  order  prohibiting  the  importation  of  nursery 
stock,  and  the  trees  were  obtained  direct  from  Japan  and  are  on  kaki 
root.  Nearly  all  of  the  orchards  are  of  mixed  varieties  and  the  top- 
working  of  the  seedlings  and  undesirable  varieties  would  undoubtedly 
greatly  improve  the  standardization  and  sale  of  the  crops.  While 
irrigation  has  been  practiced  on  most  of  the  plantings,  no  records  are 
available  relative  to  the  amount  of  water  used,  which  has  been  the  same 
as  applied  to  the  other  deciduous  fruits. 

The  conditions  in  Placer  County  are  typical  of  much  of  the  foot- 
hill belt  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  valleys  and  the  success 
of  the  persimmon  there  affords  reason  for  believing  that  the  area 
which  might  be  devoted  to  the  raising  of  this  fruit  is  extensive.  The 
behavior  of  the  trees  at  the  Government  Plant  Introduction  Gardens 
near  Chico  and  in  several  other  plantings  located  at  lower  elevations 


32  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

in  both  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  valleys,  demonstrates  that 
the  persimmon  can  be  grown  wherever  other  deciduous  fruits  are 
grown.  It  is  certain,  therefore,  that  in  California  the  limited  develop- 
ment of  persimmon  culture  to  date  is  the  result  of  causes  other  than 
unsuitable  soil  and  climatic  conditions. 

In  southern  California,  plantings  have  been  made  generally 
throughout  the  citrus  belt,  particularly  in  the  coastal  area.  One  of 
the  oldest  is  that  on  the  Elwood  ranch  in  Santa  Barbara  County,  pre- 
viously mentioned.  Much  of  the  original  orchard  still  remains,  though 
a  considerable  part  was  washed  away  during  a  flood  some  years  ago. 
The  most  extensive  orchards  are  to  be  found  in  Orange  and  Los 
Angeles  counties.  The  older  plantings  are  quite  commonly  found 
interset  with  citrus  trees — orange,  lemon,  grapefruit,  and  tangerines. 
Just  how  the  practice  became  established  is  not  known,  but  it  has 
spread  and  the  combination  has  been  a  satisfactory  one.  Excellent 
examples  of  this  combination  are  to  be  seen  in  the  G.  W.  Sherwood 
orchard  at  Fullerton,  where  grapefruit  and  persimmons  have  been 
interset  and  in  the  Richter  grove  at  San  Dimas,  where  both  lemon  and 
tangerine  trees  have  been  used.  The  rapid  growth  of  the  trees  and 
the  heavy  production  of  fruit  experienced  in  these  orchards  indicates 
that  the  Oriental  persimmon  responds  well  to  the  cultural  practices 
given  citrus  groves. 

In  recent  years,  in  all  parts  of  southern  California  there  has  been 
a  pronounced  increase  in  interest  in  the  growing  of  persimmons  which 
has  led  to  the  setting  out  of  many  solid  plantings.  According  to  the 
latest  figures  available,  about  400  acres  of  persimmons  have  been 
planted  in  southern  California  in  the  past  four  years,  mainly  located 
in  San  Diego,  Riverside,  Orange,  Los  Angeles,  San  Bernardino, 
Ventura,  and  Santa  Barbara  counties. 

The  future  of  the  persimmon  industry  in  some  parts  of  southern 
California  is  rendered  problematical  by  continued  subdivision  activi- 
ties which  have  brought  about  greatly  increased  land  valuations. 
These,  together  with  the  high  valuation  of  land  suitable  for  citrus 
culture,  constitute  a  distinct  handicap  to  the  raising  of  persimmons  in 
districts  affected  by  these  factors.  If  the  growing  of  this  fruit  were 
limited  to  the  same  climatic  zone  as  the  citrus  fruits,  its  production 
on  high-priced  land  would  not  be  accompanied  by  risks  or  problems 
uncommon  to  many  other  subtropical  fruits.  On  the  other  hand,  since 
the  persimmon  can  be  grown  on  large  areas  in  other  parts  of  the  state, 
where  land  values  and  costs  of  water  are  much  lower,  the  unlimited 
expansion  of  plantings  in  southern  California  would  seem  to  be  more 
or  less  hazardous. 


BUI*.  416]  TIIE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  33 

While  limited  planting's  in  the  Imperial  Valley  have  indicated 
that  crops  can  be  produced  there,  and  the  experimental  planting  at 
the  Government  Farm  at  Bard  is  now  coming  into  bearing  and  will 
soon  afford  more  specific  knowledge  as  to  the  behavior  of  the  different 
varieties,  there  does  not  seem  to  be  at  the  present  time  sufficient  evi- 
dence to  warrant  the  general  assumption  that  persimmon  culture  can 
be  profitably  carried  on  in  this  valley  in  competition  with  other  areas 
in  the  state.  Further  experimental  plantings  should  be  tried  before 
extensive  acreage  is  planted. 


SOILS 

Judged  by  its  behavior  in  both  California  and  the  southern  states, 
the  Oriental  persimmon  is  not  particular  in  its  soil  requirements, 
apparently  growing  about  equally  well  on  a  wide  variety  of  soils, 
though  the  response  the  tree  makes  indicates  some  degree  of  preference. 
On  the  heavy  adobes  of  Orange  County  and  the  deep,  rather  heavy 
loams  of  other  parts  of  southern  California,  the  tree  reaches  its  maxi- 
mum size,  while  on  the  lighter  and  especially  on  the  shallower  soils, 
the  tree  makes  much  less  growth  but  comes  into  bearing  earlier.  This 
difference  in  response  is  partially  attributable,  however,  to  differences 
in  cultural  treatment. 

It  has  been  a  common  assumption  that  the  persimmon  is  naturally 
resistant  to  excessive  soil  moisture  and  that  therefore  it  is  especially 
adapted  to  low,  wet  areas.  This  is  true  only  of  the  native  or  virginiana 
root,  which  can  withstand  a  higher  water  table,  or  periods  of  con- 
tinuous wet  soil  conditions  much  better  than  other  rootstocks.  It 
should  be  emphasized,  however,  as  will  be  adverted  to  later,  that  this 
root  is  not  generally  so  satisfactory  for  the  conditions  in  California 
as  are  the  other  stocks  which  are  used.  Neither  the  kaki  nor  the  lotus 
root  are  tolerant  of  poorly  drained  soils,  the  former  less  so  than  the 
latter,  and  illustrations  of  failure  to  recognize  this  fact  are  not  lacking 
in  both  northern  and  southern  California  where  many  trees  have  died 
from  this  cause.  The  difference  in  resistance  between  the  lotus  and 
the  kaki  is  well  illustrated  on  a  grove  in  Orange  County  where  on 
account  of  excessive  irrigation  and  poor  drainage  the  original  plant- 
ing of  trees  on  kaki  root  has  almost  completely  died  out,  while  the  few 
trees  on  lotus  root  have  lasted  much  longer,  although  several  have 
succumbed  recently.  The  most  ideal  soil  conditions  for  the  optimum 
growth  of  this  fruit  are  provided  by  a  well  drained,  medium  heavy 
loam,  well  supplied  with  organic  matter. 


34  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


PROPAGATION 

ROOTSTOCKS 

Three  rootstocks  have  been  used  for  the  persimmon  in  California, 
the  kaki,  virginiana  and  lotus  species.  The  older  plantings  are  almost 
entirely  on  the  kaki  root  since  the  trees  were  imported  from  Japan 
where  the  root  has  been  almost  exclusively  used.  In  recent  years  some 
shipments  of  trees  have  been  made  from  the  southern  states  where 
the  native  or  virginiana  stock  has  been  favored.  From  the  beginning 
of  interest*  in  persimmon  planting  a  few  trees  have  also  been  propa- 
gated on  this  stock  by  California  nurserymen. 

As  a  result  of  Meyer's  observations  on  the  use  of  Diospyros  lotus 
in  China,  this  stock  came  into  prominence  some  years  ago  and  large 
importations  of  seed  were  made  both  by  the  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  and  by  private  agencies.  Importations  of 
nursery  trees  on  the  kaki  stock  continued  to  supply  the  majority  of 
trees,  however,  until  prohibited  by  Quarantine  Order  No.  37,  which 
became  effective  on  June  1,  1919.  This  order  made  it  necessary  for 
those  who  intend  to  plant  to  secure  trees  propagated  in  this  country 
and  resulted  in  a  marked  stimulus  to  the  growing  of  nursery  trees 
in  California.  Some  importations  have  been  made  from  the  southern 
states,  but  the  interception  of  the  persimmon  borer  in  some  of  the 
shipments  has  indicated  the  danger  involved  in  so  doing.  The  result 
has  been  that  with  the  exception  of  some  few  trees  imported  from  the 
southern  states,  all  persimmon  trees  grown  in  California  since  the 
issuing  of  the  quarantine  order  have  been  on  the  lotus  stock. 

D.  kaki. — As  has  been  stated,  the  oldest  orchards  in  California  are 
on  this  stock.  Its  habit  of  growth  is  to  produce  a  long  tap  root  with 
few  fibrous  laterals,  in  this  respect  resembling  the  walnut.  These 
long  tap  roots  are  easily  broken  or  injured  in  handling  and  shipping, 
are  difficult  to  pack  and  in  general  have  caused  much  dissatisfaction 
with  this  root  on  the  part  of  nurserymen  and  growers.  There  is 
no  question,  however,  that  the  stock  makes  a  satisfactory  union  with 
all  varieties  at  present  grown,  and  produces  fine  orchard  trees. 

When  the  experience  and  practices  of  both  the  walnut  and  pecan 
nurserymen  in  the  handling  of  trees  with  the  same  type  of  root  are 
available,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  just  why  such  practices  have 
not  been  used  in  handling  the  kaki  root.  In  order  to  limit  the  length 
growth  of  the  tap  root  and  to  stimulate  the  development  of  fibrous 


BUL.  416]  TIIE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  35 

laterals  in  the  case  of  both  the  walnut  and  pecan  the  tap  root  is  cut 
while  the  trees  are  in  the  nursery  row,  a  long-bladed  spade  being 
used  for  this  purpose.  This  practice  gives  very  satisfactory  results, 
and  it  is  believed  that  it  is  applicable  to  the  kaki  root,  and  that  if 
used,  much  better  results  could  be  obtained  than  have  been  in  the 
past. 

The  kaki  root  is  not  as  resistant  to  excessive  soil  moisture  as  either 
the  lotus  or  the  virginiana.  The  kaki  is  not  as  susceptible  to  crown- 
gall  attack  as  is  the  lotus  and  this  quality  is  reviving  interest  in  a 
possible  resumption  of  its  use.  Further,  it  is  reported  that  one  of 
the  most  widely  used  stocks  in  Japan  and  parts  of  China  is  a  wild 
form  of  D.  kaki  which  is  said  to  be  very  hardy.  This  form  was  intro- 
duced some  years  ago  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, but  was  lost  before  it  received  widespread  distribution.  What  is 
believed  to  be  the  same  form  has  recently  been  introduced  again  and 
is  being  propagated  for  further  trial.  Efforts  are  also  being  made 
to  locate  a  large  supply  of  this  form.  The  few  trees  of  this  rootstock 
now  growing  at  the  Plant  Introduction  Garden  at  Chico  seem  to  be 
more  resistant  to  crown  gall  than  lotus  stock  growing  nearby.  They 
are  vigorous  and  thrifty  and  give  decided  promise  of  affording  an 
excellent  rootstock. 

D.  virginiana. — In  the  southern  states  the  wild  native  American 
persimmon  early  came  into  use  as  a  rootstock  and  soon  demon- 
strated its  superiority  over  the  kaki  root  for  the  conditions  in  that 
region.  It  was  found  to  be  adapted  to  a  much  wider  range  of  soil 
conditions,  and  trees  on  this  stock  showed  superior  growth.  Its 
habit  of  growth  is  to  produce  many  fibrous  roots  which  make  it  easier 
to  transplant  than  the  kaki.  In  the  opinion  of  H.  H.  Hume  this 
stock  is  the  best  root  for  the  Oriental  persimmon  in  the  south.  It  has 
the  disadvantage  of  suckering  badly,  however,  particularly  if  the 
roots  are  injured.  Trees  on  this  stock  have  grown  well  in  California, 
both  those  imported  from  southern  nurserymen  and  those  grown  from 
seed  here.  It  has  been  the  experience  in  this  state,  however,  that  it 
is  difficult  to  get  a  uniform  stand  of  nursery  tree  from  this  root. 
Trees  on  this  root  will  stand  unfavorable  soil  conditions,  and  par- 
ticularly excessive  moisture,  much  better  than  on  either  of  the  other 
two  stocks.  In  Placer  County  J.  A.  Teagarden  reports  that  the  use 
of  this  stock  in  the  low  and  colder  parts  of  his  orchards  has  delayed 
the  blooming  period  of  the  trees  about  thirty  days  in  the  spring,  thus 
insuring  freedom  from  frost  injury.  In  poorly  drained  areas  where 
water  may  stand  for  considerable  time  during  the  rainy  season,  this 
root  has  also  been  found  to  produce  better  trees. 


36  UNIVERSITY    OP    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

D.  lotus. — Although  this  is  the  newest  stock  to  be  used  for  the 
propagation  of  the  Oriental  persimmon,  Diospyros  lotus  has  rapidly 
superseded  all  others  in  California.  Meyer12  reported  it  as  the 
stock  upon  which  he  found  the  oldest  topworked  trees  growing  in 
northern  China.  Trees  were  observed  which  he  estimated  to  be  sev- 
eral hundred  years  old.  The  use  of  this  rootstock  was  suggested 
in  1882  in  the  Report  of  the  California  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station,13  which  stated  that  it  was  superior  to  the  virginiana  because 
of  the  better  root  system  which  it  produced.  The  lotus  stock  has 
produced  the  most  thrifty,  rapidly  growing,  uniform  stands  of 
nursery  trees  of  any  stock  yet  tried  in  California  and  this  rapidity 
of  growth  has  been  maintained  by  the  young  orchard  trees.  It  pro- 
duces an  excellent  fibrous  root  system,  does  not  sucker  and  is  easily 
handled  in  the  nursery.  The  greatest  drawback  of  the  lotus  stock  is 
its  susceptibility  to  infection  by  crown  gall,  which  has  become  so 
widespread  in  recent  years  as  to  constitute  a  serious  menace  to  the 
continued  use  of  this  stock.  Nurserymen  are,  therefore,  looking  for 
a  strain  of  this  stock  that  will  possess  its  good  qualities  but  in  addi- 
tion will  be  resistant  to  this  disease. 

The  lotus  stock  is  more  resistant  to  drouth  conditions  than  the 
virginiana  and  probably  the  kaki.  It  will  not  withstand  poorly 
drained  soils,  but  as  this  is  an  exceptional  condition  in  most  parts 
of  California,  it  can  be  recommended  generally  for  planting  except 
where  crown-gall  infection  is  known  to  exist. 


Seeding 

Seed  of  the  lotus  may  be  planted  either  in  flats  or  in  field  beds  if 
the  latter  are  shaded  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  and  covered  to 
keep  the  birds  away.  The  usual  practice  is  to  stratify  the  seeds  in 
sand  in  the  fall,  covering  them  with  about  an  inch  of  sand  which  is 
kept  moist  until  early  spring  when  they  are  planted  in  nursery  rows 
or  in  flats.  Some  nurserymen  plant  them  in  the  spring  without 
stratifying,  using  a  mixture  of  half  sand  and  half  soil.  The  flats 
should  be  kept  in  the  partial  shade  of  a  lath  house,  or  the  beds  should 
be  shaded,  until  germination  is  complete,  as  the  seedlings  are  very 
susceptible  to  sunburn.  If  planted  in  field  beds,  the  seedlings  should 
be  thinned  to  a  distance  of  eight  inches  in  the  row,  and  in  transplant- 


12  Meyer,  Frank  N.  Agricultural  explorations  in  the  fruit  and  nut  orchards 
of  China,     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.  Plant  Ind.  Bui.  204:10-16.     1911. 

isKlee,  W.  G.  The  Diospyros  lotus  or  so-called  Italian  persimmon.  Eeport 
of  the  Col.  of  Agr.,  Univ.  of  California  1882:102-103.     1883. 


Bul.  416 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


37 


ing  from  flats  this  distance  should  be  maintained.  Shade  must  be  pro- 
vided for  all  newty  transplanted  seedings  until  they  become  well  estab- 
lished and  growth  has  commenced.  For  this  purpose  shingles  are 
frequently  used  (fig.  12)  while  lath  screens  are  also  employed. 


Fig.  12. — Foreground,  shading  young  seedlings  by  means  of  shingles.     Background, 
young  grafted  trees  recently  staked. 

In  general  the  same  methods  are  used  in  the  handling  of  kaki  seed. 
Where  possible  the  seeds  should  be  stratified  soon  after  removal  from 
the  fruit.  Where  drying  has  occurred  they  should  be  soaked  in  warm 
water  for  two  or  three  days  before  stratification. 


Grafting 

Most  of  the  nursery  stock  grown  in  California  has  been  propa- 
gated by  grafting,  either  bench-grafting  or  in  place  in  the  nursery 
row.  The  ordinary  whip  or  cleft  grafts  are  used,  the  former  giving 
a  somewhat  better  union,  though  the  trees  produced  by  either  method 
are  satisfactory.  Seedlings  of  one  or  two  years  growth  are  used.  If 
the  whip  graft  is  to  be  employed  the  top  is  removed  by  a  sloping  cut 


38  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

about  an  inch  in  length,  and  a  scion  from  the  previous  season 's  growth 
of  about  the  same  diameter  as  the  stock,  and  having  two  buds,  is  pre- 
pared. A  long  sloping  cut  is  made  at  the  base  of  the  scion  similar 
to  that  made  on  the  stock  and  the  two  are  fitted  together  by  means  of 
incisions  in  both  stock  and  scion  in  the  manner  illustrated  and 
described  by  Fletcher14  or  in  any  standard  text  on  propagation.15  If 
the  seedlings  are  to  be  cleft  grafted,  they  are  cut  off  squarely  just 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  are  then  split  with  a  sharp,  strong 
knife.  The  scions  should  be  taken  from  well  matured  wood  of  the 
previous  year's  growth,  with  two  buds.  The  lower  portion  of  the 
scion  is  cut  so  as  to  form  a  long  wedge  with  one  edge  thicker  than 
the  other.  The  cuts  are  made  so  as  to  have  the  lowest  bud  at  the  top 
of  the  wedge.  In  order  to  insure  contact  of  the  cambium  layer  of 
the  scion  and  the  stock,  the  former  is  tilted  outward  slightly  so  that 
the  lines  of  the  two  cambium  layers  cross.  The  scion  is  firmly  tied 
with  strong  cotton  cord  and  the  wound  and  union  covered  with  graft- 
ing wax.  After  growth  starts,  all  suckers  arising  below  the  union 
should  be  removed  so  as  to  force  all  growth  into  the  scion.  This 
method  can  be  used  with  advantage  on  stocks  that  are  too  large  to 
be  readily  whip  grafted. 

Budding 

The  propagation  of  the  Oriental  persimmon  by  budding  is  not 
ordinarily  practiced.  The  experience  has  been  that  this  method  of 
propagation  does  not  give  a  satisfactory  percentage  of  stand  or  the 
uniformity  of  growth  desired  by  the  nurserymen.  J.  E.  Morrow,  of 
the  Government  Plant  Introduction  Garden  at  Chico  reports  recently, 
however,  much  greater  success  from  the  use  of  buds  removed  by  out- 
lining or  cutting  through  the  bark  only  and  peeling  it  off,  rather  than 
cutting  through  and  taking  a  part  of  the  wood.  This  procedure  gives 
much  more  cambium  surface  and  should  produce  much  better  results. 

Budding  may  be  done  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  sap  is  good 
and  the  bark  slips  readily  or  in  the  fall  before  the  sap  flow  has  ceased. 
The  buds  are  taken  from  the  previous  season's  growth.  Where  seed- 
lings of  the  current  season  are  to  be  used,  budding  usually  must  be 
delayed  until  early  fall  to  permit  them  to  become  large  enough. 

The  ordinary  ' '  T ' '  incision  is  made  from  two  to  three  inches  above 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  the  vertical  cut  being  about  an  inch  and 


14  Fletcher,  W.  F.  The  native  persimmon.  TJ.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Farmers ' 
Bulletin  685:1-28.     1915. 

!5  Stahl,  J.  L.  Propagation  of  deciduous  fruits.  California  Agr.  Exp.  Sta. 
Circ.  294:1-24.     1925. 


BuL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  39 

a  half  long.  The  bud*  is  cut  with  a  shield  of  from  one  and  a  quarter 
to  one  and  a  half  inches  long  and  is  gently  forced  down  into  the 
incision  until  the  shield  is  entirely  beneath  the  flaps  of  bark.  A 
narrow  strip  of  budding  cloth  one-quarter  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
wide  is  used  for  wrapping.  This  is  started  above  the  bud  and  wrapped 
downward.  As  soon  as  the  buds  have  united  with  the  stock  the 
wrapping  should  be  cut.  When  growth  begins,  the  stock  should  be 
cut  off  just  above  the  bud,  and  stakes  provided  as  soon  as  the  new 
shoot  is  long  enough  to  tie.  The  method  of  budding  the  native  per- 
simmon has  been  well  described  and  illustrated  by  Fletcher.  Meyer16 
reports  that  the  varieties  in  northern  China  are  ring-budded  on  the 
lotus  root.     This  method  is  also  described  by  Fletcher. 

Regardless  of  the  method  used,  staking  and  tying  should  com- 
mence when  the  scion  or  bud  has  made  a  growth  of  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  inches  (fig.  12).  This  will  protect  the  buds  from  being 
broken  by  wind  or  other  means,  facilitates  cultivation  and  irrigation, 
and  develops  strong  and  straight  trees.  Ordinary  building  laths  are 
satisfactory  for  this  purpose. 

Topworking 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  desirability  of  topworking 
many  of  the  trees  in  the  older  plantings  in  California  as  a  means  of 
eliminating  inferior  varieties  and  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
standardization  of  packs.  Trees  to  be  topworked  should  be  cut  back 
in  late  winter.  The  branches  to  be  grafted  should  be  selected  so  as  to 
form  a  desirable  framework  and  should  be  cut  back  to  stubs  from  18 
to  24  inches  long.  Several  should  be  left  uncut  to  act  as  nurse  limbs 
until  the  scions  have  grown  for  a  year  or  two.  The  ordinary  cleft 
graft  is  employed  "(fig.  13)  the  number  of  scions  being  two  or  more, 
depending  upon  the  size  of  the  limb  to  be  grafted.  In  the  case  of 
large  stubs  it  is  an  advantage  to  use  more  scions  than  are  needed 
since  they  encourage  rapid  healing  over  of  the  wound.  The  scions 
should  be  from  three-eighth  to  one-half  inch  in  diameter  with  two 
or  three  strong  buds.  The  wounds  should  be  kept  waxed  until  they 
are  completely  healed  over.  After  a  year  or  two  all  scions  but  one 
to  each  limb  can  usually  be  removed,  since  the  healing  of  the  cuts  will 
have  progressed  far  enough.  The  trunk  and  crotches  should  be  kept 
whitewashed  until  the  new  top  is  grown,  as  a  means  of  preventing 
sunburn. 


!6  Meyer,  Frank  N.     Agricultural  explorations  in  the  fruit  and  nut  orchards 
of  China.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.  Plant  Ind.  Bui.  204:10-16.     1911. 


40 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


For  the  purpose  of  keeping  birds  from  breaking  out  the  scions  by 
perching  on  them  when  first  inserted,  paper  bags  should  be  inverted 
over  the  stubs  and  tied,  and  holes  cut  to  provide  air  circulation.    The 


Fig.  13. — Recently  topworked  persimmon  tree  showing  cleft-graft  method 
employed  and  rapid  growth  of  scions. 

growth  made  by  scions  on  large  trees  is  rapid  and  there  is  danger  that 
the  new  branches  will  break  out  at  the  union  unless  they  are  braced. 
This  may  be  accomplished  by  lashing  a  strong  1  by  2  inch  upright  to 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


41 


to  the  old  limb  and  tying  the  new  limb  to  it  until  the  union  becomes 
strong  enough  to  maintain  the  additional  weight.  It  is  usually  neces- 
sary to  head  back  the  vigorous  growing  scions  to  prevent  the  new 
limbs  from  becoming  willowy  and  to  cause  them  to  branch. 


p 


x 


( 


Fig.  14. — A  bud  variation  in  the  Hachiya  variety.  A,  The  standard  type. 
B,  The  variant  form.  Courtesy  A.  D.  Shamel,  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture. 

Bud  Selection 

In  the  propagation  of  nursery  stock  and  in  the  topworking  of  old 
trees,  care  should  be  used  in  the  selection  of  buds  and  scions.  The 
occurrence  of  occasional  bud  variations  has  been  noted  in  many  fruit 
varieties  and  there  is  some  evidence  to  indicate  that  such  have  occur- 
red in  the  persimmon.  Thus,  in  the  Hachiya  variety  there  has  occa- 
sionally been  found  a  rounded  form  on  trees  which  produce  mainly 
normally  shaped  fruits  (fig.  14).  It  would,  therefore,  seem  desirable 
to  select  budwood  while  the  fruit  is  still  on  the  trees,  although  the 


42  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

hazard  from  not  so  doing  would  appear  to  be  slight.  It  should  be 
emphasized  in  this  connection  that  Hume17  has  shown  that  in  many 
persimmon  varieties  pollination  has  a  decided  effect  on  the  size  and 
shape  of  the  fruits.  Since  these  are  two  of  the  important  characters 
used  in  bud  selection,  it  is  necessary  that  they  be  considered  in  con- 
nection with  the  selection  of  buds  or  scions.  The  presence  of  seeds 
frequently  causes  a  reduction  in  size  of  the  fruit,  which  may  explain 
in  part  the  difference  in  size  previously  noted  in  fruits  of  the  Hachiya 
variety,  as  grown  in  northern  California  and  southern  California,  the 
older  orchards  in  the  north  invariably  containing  a  number  of  varie- 
ties and  usually  producing  seeded  fruit,  while  in  southern  California 
most  of  the  plantings  contain  but  the  one  variety  and  the  fruits  pro- 
duced are  seedless.  In  some  varieties  the  presence  of  seeds  alters  the 
shape  from  conical  to  oblate  or  flattened.  There  is  obviously,  there- 
fore, always  the  likelihood  that  suspected  bud  variations  may  be 
nothing  more  than  the  normal  result  of  seed  development.  There  has 
been  no  systematic  work  done  on  this  phase  of  persimmon  culture  in 
California  and  no  specific  recommendations  can  be  made.  The  gen- 
eral policy  of  selecting  budwood  from  trees  producing  good  crops  of 
uniform  fruits,  typical  of  the  variety  under  normal  orchard  condi- 
tions, should  be  followed  until  there  is  more  specific  information 
available. 

ORCHARD  MANAGEMENT 
Planting  and  Care  of  Young  Trees 

Planting  distances. — Planting  distances  vary  with  the  variety  and 
with  soil  conditions.  In  northern  California  on  the  shallower  soils  of 
the  hill  slopes,  a  distance  of  15  by  15  feet  has  not  resulted  in  crowding, 
while  in  southern  California  on  some  of  the  deep,  rich  soils,  trees 
planted  24  by  24  feet  have  eventually  crowded  each  other.  There  is 
strong  evidence  to  indicate  that  under  these  conditions  a  distance  of 
30  by  30  feet  will  probably  not  be  too  great  for  strong-growing, 
spreading  varieties  such  as  the  Hachiya  and  the  Tamopan.  The 
Hyakume  is  more  slender  and  upright  in  its  growth  and  can  be 
planted  at  a  distance  of  20  by  20  feet  under  most  conditions. 

Inter  planting. — It  has  been  the  practice  to  interset  persimmon 
groves  with  citrus  trees  in  southern  California  at  the  usual  distance 
of  citrus  plantings,  24  by  24  feet,  and  in  general  this  arrangement 
has  proved  very  satisfactory.     On  at  least  one  interplanted  orchard 


17  Hume,  H.  H.     Effect  of  pollination  on  the  fruit  of  Diospyros  kaJci.    Proc. 
Soc.   Hort.    Sco.  1913:88-93.     1914. 


Bul.416" 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


43 


where  a  smaller  distance  was  used  the  trees  have  become  too  crowded, 
the  fruit  being  produced  in  the  tops  almost  entirely,  and  the  yield 
materially  reduced.  For  plantings  on  soils  of  moderate  depth  and  of 
good  quality  in  both  northern  and  southern  California  a  distance  of 
24  by  24  feet  on  the  square  sj^stem  is  recommended  for  the  Hachiya 
and  Tamopan  varieties,  and  20  by  20  feet  for  the  Hyakume  and  other 
varieties  with  a  slender,  upright  habit  of  growth. 


Fig.  15. — Left,  well  pruned  tree  with  desirable  framework.  The  distribution 
of  scaffold  branches  is  good.  Eight,  poor  framework  formation.  This  will  give 
trouble  later.     See  also  figure  16. 

Holes  2  feet  square  and  3  feet  deep  and  the  use  of  top  soil  for 
filling  in  around  the  roots  are  recommended.  Blasting  the  the  holes 
in  shallower  soils  has  given  good  results  in  Placer  County.  All 
broken  or  torn  roots  should  be  pruned  off  and  the  cuts  disinfected 
with  bordeaux  paste  or  bichloride  of  mercury  solution.  The  trees 
should  be  headed  back  to  a  height  of  from  30  to  36  inches  and  the 
main  framework  branches  developed  from  the  best  spaced  four  or 
five  shoots  produced  on  the  upper  15  to  18  inches  of  the  trunk  (fig.  15). 


44 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Irrigation  should  follow  the  planting  of  the  trees,  even  though  the 
soil  is  moist,  in  order  that  it  may  be  thoroughly  settled  around  the 
roots.  While  not  absolutely  necessary,  it  is  an  advantage  to  white- 
wash the  trunks  of  young  trees  to  prevent  sunburning,  especially  in 
regions  where  summer  temperatures  are  high.  Wrapping  with  news- 
paper will  serve  the  same  purpose,  provided  there  is  sufficient  air 


Fig.  16. — The  result  of  the  hick  of  proper  spacing  and  thinning  of  young 
branches.     The  center  is  now  too  dense  and  the  crotches  are  weak. 


space  between  the  paper  and  trunk.  Where  the  growth  of  young  trees 
is  ,yery  rapid,  as  is  often  the  case,  staking  is  necessary  for  the  first 
two  or  three  years,  as  the  trees  are  willowy  and  easily  blown  over. 

Pruning. — Pruning  of  young  trees  should  be  conducted  with  a 
view  to  developing  a  strong  framework  capable  of  carrying  heavy 
crops  (fig.  16).  After  the  four  or  five  main  framework  limbs  have 
been  selected,  other  growth  below  them  on  the  trunk  should  be 
suppressed.     After  the  first  season  the  limbs  should  be  cut  back  from 


BUL.  416]  THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  45 

a  third  to  a  half,  according  to  the  amount  of  growth,  and  after  the 
second  season,  pruning  should  be  such  as  to  direct  the  growth  and 
strengthen  the  framework  branches.  A  minimum  of  pruning  is  to  be 
recommended  at  all  times  and  after  the  second  season  little  more  than 
the  removal  of  cross  limbs,  or  the  heading  back  of  unruly  leaders  is 
generally  required.  It  has  been  observed  frequently  in  young 
orchards  that  continued  drastic  pruning  delays  the  fruiting  period 
and  stimulates  excessive  vegetative  growth,  the  result  being  added 
care  with  smaller  returns.  For  the  first  three  or  four  years  fruits 
should  be  removed  if  they  fail  to  drop  naturally.  The  strength  of 
the  trees  should  go  into  the  development  of  framework  parts  during 
the  early  years  if  excessive  loss  through  breakage  is  to  be  avoided 
later. 

Irrigation. — Irrigation  to  insure  steady  and  uninterrupted  growth 
should  be  provided  throughout  the  dry  growing  season,  the  interval 
being  determined  by  the  results  of  an  examination  of  the  soil  with  a 
soil  auger  or  some  other  means  of  disclosing  the  condition  of  the  sub- 
soil. If  a  good  top  soil  is  used  in  filling  in  around  the  roots  of  the 
young  trees,  no  fertilization  will  be  required,  though  where  the  cost 
of  water  is  not  too  high,  the  growing  of  cover  crops  during  this  period 
is  recommended. 

Care  of  Bearing  Trees 

Tillage  operations. — The  cultural  practices  followed  are  in  general 
similar  to  those  employed  with  other  deciduous  fruits,  no  special 
departures  being  required  by  the  persimmon.  One  plowing  a  year, 
usually  in  the  spring,  is  the  common  practice.  This  keeps  the  roots 
below  the  surface  six-inch  mulch  with  consequent  less  exposure  to 
variation  in  extremes  of  heat  and  dryness.  If  a  winter  cover  crop 
is  grown,  spring  plowing  should  be  done  early  enough  for  the  green 
matter  to  become  thoroughly  incorporated  in  the  soil  while  there  is 
still  moisture  enough  to  bring  about  immediate  decay  and  availability. 
Cultivation  sufficient  to  keep  down  weeds  and  to  leave  the  soil  in  good 
condition  to  take  water  is  all  that  is  required,  once  after  each 
irrigation  being  the  usual  practice. 

Irrigation. — The  amounts  of  irrigation  water  applied  vary  notably 
in  different  parts  of  the  state.  Actual  measurements  on  orchards  are 
difficult  to  obtain  in  northern  California.  In  southern  California  as 
much  as  three  acre  inches  a  month  during  the  growing  season  is  used 
on  some  of  the  orchards,  especially  those  interset  with  citrus  trees. 
On  most  soils  two  acre  inches  a  month  is  probably  sufficient.     While 


46  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

monthly  irrigations  are  sufficient  in  the  deeper  soils  of  both  northern 
and  southern  California,  more  frequent  irrigations,  using  smaller 
amounts  of  water  are  needed  on  the  shallow  hillside  soils  because  of 
the  reduced  water-holding  capacity.  The  furrow  method  is  most 
commonly  used ;  however,  in  a  few  orchards  on  sandy  soils,  the  basin 
system  has  given  most  satisfactory  results. 

The  use  of  the  soil  auger,  or  some  similar  means  of  examining  the 
condition  of  the  soil  beneath  the  surface  is  indispensible  in  good 
orchard  management,  in  order  that  the  application  of  water  may  be 
uniform,  adequate  and  properly  timed.  During  the  winter  months, 
irrigation  may  be  necessary  during  years  of  light  rainfall,  as  is  the 
case  with  other  deciduous  fruits. 

The  relation  of  adequate  soil  moisture  to  the  quality  of  the  fruit 
produced  is  well  demonstrated  in  some  districts  by  the  correlation 
which  has  been  observed  between  the  sunburn  or  blackening  of  the 
fruit  and  insufficient  water  supply.  Orchards  with  the  same  soil  con- 
ditions and  sufficient  moisture  exhibit  little  of  this  difficulty.  It  is 
especially  important  that  water  be  supplied  during  the  last  two  or 
three  weeks  of  the  ripening  period,  as  there  seems  to  be  a  relation 
between  the  size  of  the  fruit  and  the  presence  of  ample  moisture 
during  this  period.  Insufficient  moisture  at  this  time  seems  to  result 
in. small  fruit,  even  though  conditions  have  previously  been  favorable. 

Fertilization  and  cover  crops. — There  is  no  uniform  practice  in 
the  application  of  fertilizers,  although  the  importance  of  organic 
matter  in  the  soil  is  generally  recognized.  In  some  of  the  northern 
California  districts  an  annual  application  of  manure  is  practiced, 
although  many  of  the  orchards  are  not  fertilized  at  all.  In  southern 
California  where  many  of  the  orchards  are  interset  with  citrus  trees, 
the  regular  citrus  orchard  fertilization  practice  is  followed;  namely, 
the  application  of  from  one  to  two  pounds  of  nitrogen  to  a  tree  a  year. 
The  best  results  seem  to  occur  where  at  least  half  of  the  nitrogen  is 
secured  from  bulky  organic  matter.  In  the  absence  of  any  systematic 
tests,  the  superior  results  obtained  from  the  fertilization  program  just 
mentioned,  indicates  that  the  general  practice  is  a  satisfactory  one. 

Since  California  soils  are  in  general  deficient  in  organic  matter, 
persimmon  trees  in  common  with  other  varieties  of  fruit  trees 
undoubtedly  profit  by  the  regular  application  of  bulky  manures  and 
coarse,  leguminous  materials  such  as  bean  and  alfalfa  straw,  and  the 
growing  of  summer  and  winter  cover  crops  where  this  is  possible. 
Purple  vetch,  Melilotus  indica,  and  horse  beans  are  used  for  winter 
cover  crops  in  southern  California,  purple  vetch  being  the  most 
popular.     Where  there  is  adequate  water  at  a  low  rate  during  the 


BUL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  47 

summer  months,  the  perennial  sweet  clover,  Melilotus  alba,  furnishes 
an  excellent,  deep-rooted  cover  crop,  especially  adapted  to  breaking 
up  heavy  subsoils.    Cowpeas  are  also  used  as  a  summer  cover  crop. 

Pruning. — Persimmon  varieties  vary  notably  in  their  habit  of 
growth  and  pruning  practices  should  be  adapted  to  these  varietal 
characteristics.  The  Hachiya  is  a  broad,  upright  growing,  almost 
ideal  orchard  tree,  somewhat  spreading  in  habit  but  with  strong,  sup- 
porting framework,  and  therefore  it  requires  little  pruning.  The 
Tamopan  is  similar,  though  inclined  to  a  somewhat  more  willowy 
habit  of  growth.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Hyakume  tends  to  the 
development  of  a  strong  central  leader  with  rather  short,  drooping 
laterals. 

In  general,  the  pruning  of  bearing  trees  should  be  limited  to  the 
renewal  of  the  fruiting  wood.  Since  the  fruit  is  borne  on  the  growth 
of  the  current  season,  sufficient  thinning  should  be  given  to  insure 
vigorous  growth  each  season  from  the  secondary  scaffold  branches. 
Because  of  the  general  tendency  toward  vigorous  growth,  care  is 
required  to  thin  sufficiently  to  admit  light  to  the  interior.  If  this  is 
not  done,  the  interior  fruiting  wood  dies,  and  all  the  crop  is  borne  on 
the  outer  parts  of  the  tree.  The  possibilities  of  the  crops  are  conse- 
quently materially  decreased,  and  the  danger  of  breakage  is  aug- 
mented. All  cuts  should  be  made  to  laterals  so  as  to  avoid  heading  or 
''stubbing,"  which  is  very  objectionable.  Water  sprouts  on  the 
trunk  and  main  branches  should  be  rubbed  off  except  where  they  are 
needed  to  fill  in  spaces  opened  by  breakage.  Excessive  cutting  and 
"stubbing"  results  largely  in  the  production  of  vigorous  vegetative 
growth  and  failure  to  fruit.  Old,  neglected  trees  can  be  rejuvenated 
by  a  rather  vigorous  thinning  and  cutting  back  to  laterals  and  by 
shortening  the  main  branches  to  force  out  laterals  where,  through 
long  neglect,  all  interior  fruiting  wood  has  disappeared. 

Thinning. — Many  persimmon  varieties  exhibit  a  marked  tendency 
to  alternate  bearing.  This  seems  more  pronounced  where  pollination 
occurs  than  where  the  fruits  are  seedless.  In  southern  California  the 
very  heavy  drop  that  takes  place  throughout  the  growing  season 
usually  thins  the  crop  sufficiently  to  insure  large  size  in  the  remaining 
fruit.  In  northern  California,  where  pollination  and  seed  develop- 
ment are  common,  large  crops  of  relatively  small  fruit  alternating 
with  smaller  crops  of  fruit  of  fairly  good  size  is  the  usual  occurrence. 
It  has  been  shown  at  the  Chico  Plant  Introduction  Garden  that  thin- 
ning increases  the  size  of  the  fruits  and  reduces  the  tendency  to 
alternate  bearing.  Since  the  market  pays  substantial  premiums  for 
large  fruits,  in  all  probability  the  operation  would  pay.    No  extended 


48  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

experiments  have  been  conducted  on  this  practice,  however,  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  most  important  problems  awaiting  investigation. 
In  the  absence  of  specific  information,  it  is  recommended  that  the 
clusters  be  thinned  to  one  or  two  fruits  and  that  each  individual 
fruit  be  given  ample  space  for  development.  Each  grower  should 
determine  for  himself  the  optimum  number  of  fruits  of  standard  size 
and  quality  that  his  trees  can  carry  and  mature  each  season.  It  is 
believed  that  between  three  and  four  hundred  fruits  for  a  mature 
Hachiya  tree  is  sufficient,  though  there  are  trees  which  under  excep- 
tional circumstances  have  produced  as  many  as  one  thousand  good 
fruits  in  a  single  crop. 

Bracing  and  propping. — The  wood  of  the  persimmon  is  very  brittle 
and  propping  is  almost  invariably  required  as  the  trees  come  into 
bearing  (figs.  8  and  9).  Much  can  be  done  to  encourage  the  develop- 
ment of  a  strong  framework  by  careful  training  and  judicious  prun- 
ing of  the  young  trees,  and  this  will  save  extra  work  in  later  years 
(fig.  16).  Additional  support  by  means  of  props  is  usually  required, 
however,  if  danger  of  loss  from  breakage  is  to  be  avoided. 

Several  means  of  accomplishing  this  are  employed  by  the  growers. 
Propping  alone,  even  though  the  poles  are  fastened  at  the  top  by  wire 
clasps  over  the  branches,  is  not  entirely  satisfactory.  Winds  may 
lift  the  branches  and  the  props,  if  not  fastened,  fall,  and  if  fastened, 
do  not  always  come  back  in  place  with  the  result  that  the  limbs  break. 
A  combination  of  wire  bracing  and  propping  is  the  most  general 
practice.  Wires  are  fastened  with  large  screw  eyes  to,  or  are  wrapped 
around,  the  main  uprights  and  then  dropped  to  the  laterals  and 
fastened  in  a  similar  manner,  props  being  placed  under  the  smaller 
laterals.  The  latter  system  is  quite  objectionable  since  it  eventually 
leads  to  breakage  of  the  wrapped  branches. 

Because  of  the  habit  of  growth,  the  central  ring  wire  bracing 
system  used  with  peaches  and  other  deciduous  fruits  is  applicable 
without  modification  only  to  certain  varieties,  but  adapted  and  supple- 
mented with  propping  it  can  be  used  with  advantage  on  practically 
all  the  commercial  sorts.  One  of  the  successful  methods  consists  of 
a  series  of  wires  dropped  from  the  top  of  a  2  by  4  inch  pole  which 
has  been  erected  in  the  center  of  the  tree,  and  extends  two  or  three 
feet  above  the  top  of  the  crown.  The  wires  are  passed  around  the 
limbs  through  sections  of  old  hose,  or  leather  bands  are  used  to 
prevent  binding.  In  large  limbs,  screw  eyes  may  be  used  successfully, 
but  are  not  advised  for  small  branches  because  of  the  brittleness  of  the 
wood,  which  frequently  results  in  breakage  at  the  point  of  attach- 
ment.    The  advantage  of  this  system  lies  in  the  smaller  number  of 


BUL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  49 

poles  necessary,  thus  aiding  cultivation,  irrigation,  and  picking  opera- 
tions. Because  of  their  cost,  props  should  be  gathered  up  and  stored 
during  the  winter. 

Harvesting. — The  determination  of  the  proper  stage  for  picking 
varies  with  the  variety.  The  Hachiya  should  be  picked  when  the 
pink  tinge  reaches  the  basal  half  at  which  stage  at  least  one-third  of 
the  fruit  surface  is  well  colored.  It  should  not  be  picked  green.  Much 
of  the  difficulty  in  marketing  this  variety  on  local  markets  has  come 
from  picking  it  too  early.  The  Hyakume  and  the  Tanenashi  can  be 
picked  when  the  yellowish  tinge  extends  almost  down  to  the  basal  or 
calyx  end.  While  observations  on  the  Fuyu  variety  are  more  limited, 
it  seems  probable  that  it  should  lose  almost  all  of  the  greenish  appear- 
ance before  it  is  picked.  For  home  use  the  fruits  can  be  left  on  the 
trees  until  they  are  fully  colored,  though  there  is  danger  of  loss  from 
bird  damage.  When  well  colored  they  can  be  picked  and  placed  in  a 
cool,  dark  place  to  ripen. 

The  fruit  should  be  clipped  from  the  trees  with  an  orange  type  of 
clipper,  the  cut  being  made  close  to  the  calyx  which  is  left  attached 
to  the  fruit.  The  fruits  should  never  be  pulled  from  the  tree.  They 
must  be  handled  very  carefully  to  avoid  bruises  and  injuries  which 
later  turn  brown  and  lower  the  grade.  Shallow  boxes  should  be 
used  in  picking  and  transportation  of  the  fruit  from  orchard  to 
packing  house.  The  Hachiya  is  particularly  susceptible  to  injury 
because  of  the  pointed  apex  and  special  care  must  be  used  in  handling 
this  variety. 

PESTS   AND   DISEASES 

The  persimmon  is  particularly  free  from  both  serious  insect  pests 
and  diseases  in  California,  although  a  number  of  insect  pests  have 
been  reported  in  foreign  countries,  some  of  which  might  become 
serious  if  introduced  into  California. 

The  citrus  mealy  bug,  Pseudococcus  citri  (Risso),  is  becoming 
increasingly  prevalent  in  southern  California  orchards.  It  attacks 
the  fruit  under  the  calyx  and  because  of  this  protected  position  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  reach  by  sprays.  Satisfactory  control  of  this 
insect  involves  the  elimination  of  the  Argentine  ant18  in  order  that 
the  natural  insect  enemies  of  the  mealy  bug  can  function,  which  if 
unhampered  usually  keept  it  under  control.  Spraying  of  the  trees 
during  the  dormant  season  with  oil  emulsion  or  crude  carbolic-acid 


is  Borden,  A.  D.     Control  of  the  common  mealybug  of  citrus  in  California. 
U.  S.  Dept.  Farmers'  Bui.  1309:1-10.     1923. 


50  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

emulsion,  with  sufficient  pressure  to  force  the  liquid  into  the  cracks 
in  the  bark  where  the  infestation  is  heavy  is  also  of  assistance  in 
controlling  this  insect. 

At  least  two  borers  attack  the  persimmon.  In  the  southern  states 
the  persimmon  borer,  Sannina  uroceriformis  Walker,  is  the  most 
serious  insect  pest  in  persimmon  orchards  and  is  a  limiting  factor  in 
production  in  some  districts.  This  pest  is  almost  impossible  to  reach 
since  it  works  inside  of  the  trunk,  tunneling  upward.  It  has  been 
intercepted  in  several  shipments  of  nursery  stock  from  southern  states, 
although  exceedingly  difficult  to  detect  without  almost  completely 
destroying  the  trees.  Because  of  the  danger  of  introducing  this  insect, 
importations  from  these  states  have  been  severely  restricted  and  even 
prohibited  in  some  counties  in  California. 

The  flat-headed  borer,  Dicerca  obscura  (Fabr.),  attacks  the  tree  in 
the  southern  states.  Whitewashing  the  trunks  to  prevent  sunburn 
and  maintaining  the  trees  in  good  vigor  tends  to  reduce  the  occurrence 
of  this  pest.  When  once  established  in  the  tree,  the  only  method  of 
eliminating  the  borer  is  to  dig  them  out  with  a  knife  or  stiff  wire. 

Occasionally  the  red-humped  caterpillar,  Schiruza  concinna  (A. 
&  S),  is  found  attacking  trees  in  Calfiornia,  and  if  uncontrolled  some- 
times defoliates  them.  Spraying  with  lead  arsenate  at  the  rate  of 
two  pounds  to  fifty  gallons  of  water  is  recommended  for  its  control. 
Other  insects  occasionally  found  on  persimmon  trees  in  California 
include  the  soft  brown  scale,  Coccus  hesperidum  Linn.,  the  black  scale, 
Sassetia  oleae  (Bern.),  the  San  Jose  scale,  Aspidiotus  pemiciosus 
Com.,  the  barnacle  scale,  Ceroplastes  cirripediformis  Com.,  and  the 
oyster  shell  scale,  Lepidosaphes  ulmi  (Linn.).  In  Florida  the  twig 
girdler,  Oncideres  cingulatus  (Say),  the  white  peach  scale,  Aulacaspis 
pentagona  (Targ.,  and  the  citrus  white  fly,  Lialeurodes  citri  (R.  & 
H.),  in  addition  to  several  of  those  already  mentioned,  attack  the  tree, 
the  twig  girdler  being  especially  serious. 

The  nematode  has  been  reported  on  injured  persimmon  roots  but 
apparently  the  persimmon  is  not  very  susceptible  to  this  pest.  R.  R. 
McLean,  Horticultural  Commissioner  of  San  Diego  County,  has  made 
a  study  of  persimmon  roots  and  fig  roots  in  a  soil  area  heavily  infested 
with  nematode  at  Point  Loma.  No  infestation  of  the  persimmon  roots 
was  found  even  when  intertwining  with  fig  roots  which  were  badly 
infested. 

In  foreign  countries  there  are  several  insect  pests  of  major  import- 
ance that  have  thus  far  not  gained  entrance  into  this  country.  The 
most  dangerous  of  these  is  the  Mediterranean  fruit  fly,  Ceratatis 
capitata  (Wied.),  which  has  caused  extensive  damage  in  persimmon 


BUL.  416]  THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA  51 

plantings  in  Australia.  In  Japan  the  larva  of  a  moth,  Kakivoria 
flavofasciata  Nag.,  somewhat  similar  to  the  codling  moth  of  the  apple, 
causes  serious  injury  in  some  persimmon  growing  districts.  The 
importance  of  rigid  quarantine  restrictions  to  prevent  the  introduction 
of  these  insects  into  the  United  States  cannot  be  overestimated. 

In  Imperial  and  Coachella  valleys  a  cicada,  Tibicen  cinctifera 
(Uhler),  does  considerable  damage  (fig;  17).  These  insects  emerge 
from  June  to  September  and  attack  the  fruit  as  it  nears  maturity. 
Dates  are  protected  from  its  attack  by  means  of  bags.  Should  the 
persimmon  ever  become  commercially  important  in  these  sections, 
similar  protection  may  be  required. 


<*•« 


m-\ 


Fig.  17. — Injury  caused  by  cicada,  Tibicen  cinctifera  (Uhler),  in  the  Imperial 
Valley.    It  has  not  been  observed  as  yet  in  other  parts  of  the  state. 

Crown  gall. — Crown  gall,  caused  by  the  organism  Bacterium 
tumefaciens  S.  and  T.  is  the  most  serious  disease  that  attacks  the 
persimmon  tree.  As  has  already  been  noted,  it  seems  to  be  more 
prevalent  on  the  roots  of  the  lotus  stock.  There  is  some  doubt  as  to 
whether  all  of  the  rough  and  warty  growth  found  at  the  bud  union 
on  nursery  trees  on  this  root  is  caused  by  this  disease.  This  problem 
is  now  under  investigation  at  the  Citrus  Experiment  Station.  Young 
trees  should  be  carefully  inspected  before  planting,  and  the  roots 
examined  to  detect  cuts  where  galls  may  have  been  removed  before 
shipment.  Large  galls  around  the  crown  may  be  cut  away,  the  wounds 
sterilized  with  corrosive  sublimate  solution  of  a  strength  of  1 :1000 
and  then  covered  with  asphaltum  paint.  Usually  the  galls  are 
scattered  over  the  roots  so  that  complete  removal  is  not  possible.  The 
remedy  lies  in  planting  clean  trees. 


52  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


FRUIT  SHEDDING 

The  shedding  of  immature  fruits  by  both  3roung  and  old  trees  is  a 
common  phenomenon  and  one  that  frequently  causes  concern.  The 
causes  of  the  dropping  are  not  clearly  understood  since  no  thorough 
study  has  been  made  of  the  problem  in  California.  In  Florida,  Hume 
has  demonstrated  that  fruit  drop  is  closely  associated  with  lack  of 
pollination.  While  this  may  have  a  bearing  on  persimmon  dropping 
in  California,  the  fact  remains  that  in  most  parts  of  the  state,  satis- 
factory crops  are  regularly  produced  without  pollination  and  seed 
formation. 

During  periods  of  extreme  heat  and  low  humidity  the  loss  of 
moisture  from  the  foilage  is  excessive.  At  such  times  water  may 
be  withdrawn  from  the  fruits  and  the  periodic  occurrence  of  this 
phenomenon  may  lead  to  their  dropping.  This  has  not  been  demon- 
strated with  the  persimmon,  but  the  work  of  Colt  and  Hodgson19 
has  established  this  relation  between  sap  withdrawal  and  June  drop 
in  the  navel  orange.  The  maintenance  of  an  adequate  soil  moisture 
supply  during  the  growing  season,  and  especially  during  periods  of 
hot  weather,  is  calculated  to  reduce  the  likelihood  of  loss  from  this 
cause  and  moreover  is  good  orchard  practice. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  moderate  dropping  of  fruits  in  mature 
orchards  which  are  properly  cared  for  is  a  desirable  condition  and 
obviates  the  necessity  of  thinning.  It  has  been  noted  that  the  number 
of  fruits  remaining  is  usually  all  that  the  tree  can  properly  mature 
if  adequate  size  is  attained.  This  is  particularly  true  in  southern 
California  where  most  of  the  fruits  are  seedless.  In  northern  Cali- 
fornia much  if  not  most  of  the  fruits  are  seedy,  and  the  problem  is 
usually  one  of  too  heavy  crops,  fruit-drop  not  being  an  important 
factor  in  that  district  (figs.  8  and  9).  It  is  probable  that,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  citrus  fruits  in  regions  where  excessive  fruit  shedding 
occurs,  the  application  of  quickly  available  fertilizers  in  early  spring 
will  be  found  to  be  beneficial. 


19  Coit,  J.  Eliot,  and  Robert  W.  Hodgson.     The  June   drop  of  Washing-ton 
Navel  oranges.     California  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  290:203-212.     1918. 


BUL.  416]  the   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  53 


USES  OF  THE  FRUIT 
Utilization  Fresh 

The  persimmon  is  preeminently  a  fruit  for  consumption  while 
fresh.  It  is  most  commonly  served  when  soft,  the  pulp  being  spooned 
out  and  eaten  as  a  dessert,  with  or  without  fresh  cream.  It  makes  an 
attractive  and  delicious  ice  cream.  When  peeled,  the  large  red- 
fruited  varieties,  particularly  the  Hachiya  served  whole,  make  a 
delectable  fruit  salad  on  lettuce,  with  French,  cream,  or  mayonnaise 
dressing.  Non-astringent  varieties  can  be  eaten  hard  and  are  used 
for  dicing  in  fruit  salads  in  much  the  same  manner  as  are  apples. 

One  of  the  drawbacks  to  the  increased  use  of  the  persimmon  at 
the  present  time  is  the  difficulty  of  determining  the  proper  stage  of 
ripeness  at  which  to  gather  the  fruit.  When  ready  for  eating  the 
astringent  varieties  are  too  soft  to  be  carried  safely  very  far.  The 
best  practice  is  to  purchase  them  when  firm  but  well  colored  and  to 
hold  them  for  a  few  days  until  fully  ripened.  The  increasing  popu- 
larity of  the  Fuyu  variety  is  due  particularly  to  its  non-astringent 
character  even  when  hard.  It  can  be  transported  readily  and  can 
be  eaten  at  any  time  after  it  begins  to  color.  This  variety  will 
undoubtedly  prove  to  be  one  of  the  most  popular  sorts  when  produced 
in  sufficient  quantity  so  that  the  buying  public  may  become  acquainted 
with  it. 

Processing 

In  order  to  overcome  the  disadvantage  of  astringency  in  the  fruits, 
the  Japanese  long  ago  worked  out  methods  of  processing  them.  The 
first  which  came  to  the  attention  of  California  growers,  reported  in 
1877, 20  consists  in  subjecting  the  unripe  fruits  while  still  hard  to  the 
fumes  of  alcohol  by  placing  them  in  tubs  recently  emptied  of  sake 
or  rice  beer.  The  fruits  are  left  in  these  tubs  from  five  to  fifteen 
days,  depending  upon  the  variety  and  temperature,  and  when  removed 
are  entirely  non-astringent  though  still  hard.  This  method  was  first 
tried  in  California  in  1905  by  Roeding21  of  Fresno  at  the  suggestion 
of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  The  experiment 
was  entirely  successful;  after  eleven  days  the  fruit  was  removed  still 
hard  but   non-astringent. 


20  Anonymous.     Japanese  persimmons.     California  Horticulturist  7:   69,   73, 
90,  237,  281,  376.     1877. 

21  Roeding,  George  C.    Unpuckering  persimmons.    Pacific  Rural  Press  74:333. 
1907. 


54  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

McClure22  has  recently  reported  two  other  methods  developed  by 
the  Chinese  for  removing  the  astringency  of  persimmons.  One  of 
these,  known  as  the  lime-water  method,  consists  in  placing  the  fruits 
in  large  earthen  jars  and  covering  them  with  a  solution  of  lime-water, 
one  part  by  weight  of  lime  to  ten  of  water.  The  process  requires  from 
two  days  to  a  week  or  more,  depending  upon  the  variety,  stage  of 
maturity,  and  the  length  of  time  between  harvesting  and  processing. 
On  removal  the  fruits  are  non-astringent  and  juicier  but  still  firm 
and  are  covered  with  a  white  bloom-like  coating  of  lime  which  the 
merchants  are  careful  to  preserve.  Fruits  treated  by  this  process  are 
said  to  have  better  keeping  quality  than  those  ripened  on  the  trees  or 
in  other  ways. 

Another  method  said  to  be  in  common  use  in  China  is  that  known 
as  smothering  and  may  be  applied  in  one  of  several  ways.  That  most 
often  employed  consists  in  placing  an  upright  bamboo  cylinder  of 
open  weave  in  the  center  of  a  large  earthen  jar  in  which  the  fruits 
are  packed.  A  large  stick  of  incense  is  burned  in  the  bamboo  cylinder 
and  the  smoke  is  said  to  bring  about  or  to  assist  in  the  removal  of 
the  astringency.  The  method  is  said  to  act  rapidly,  requiring  only 
one  or  two  days  to  give  satisfactory  results.  Fruit  processed  in  this 
manner,  however,  must  be  consumed  within  a  few  days. 

Considerable  work  has  been  done  on  this  subject  in  the  United 
States,  notably  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture23-  24 
and  the  Alabama  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,25  both  of  which 
have  devised  new  and  improved  methods  for  bringing  about  the  loss 
of  astringency  in  persimmons.  It  was  early  shown  that  the  Japanese 
process  depended  for  its  efficiency  on  the  alcohol  contained  in  the  sake. 
Carbon  dioxide  was  found  to  give  good  results  with  fruit  subjected 
to  it  from  three  to  five  days.  Preliminary  tests  have  shown  that 
ethylene  gas  is  also  effective  in  removing  the  astringency.  While  the 
fruit  can  be  rendered  entirely  non-astringent  by  these  as  well  as  other 
treatments,  the  shipping  quality  is  usually  impaired. 

These  studies  strongly  indicate  that  the  sale  of  processed  per- 
simmons will  necessarily  be  limited  to  local  markets  and  those  within 
rather  short  shipping  distances.  Thus  far,  no  attempt  has  been  made 
in  the  United  States  to  sell  processed  fruits  commercially.     Whether 


22  McClure,   F.   A.     Some   preliminary   notes   on  persimmons   in   Kwantung. 
Lingnaam  Agr.  Rev.  3:91-98.     1925. 

23  Gore,  H.  C.     Large  scale  experiments  on  the  processing  of  Japanese  per- 
simmons.    U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.  Chemistry  Bui.  155:1-20.     1912. 

24  Gore,   H.    C.      Experiments   on    the   processing   of   persimmons   to    render 
them  non-astringent.     IT.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.  Chemistry  Bull.  141:1-31.     1911. 

25  Lloyd,  Francis  E.     The  behavior  of  tannin  in  persimmons.     Plant  World 
14:1-19.     1911. 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


55 


the  use  of  such  fruit  could  be  popularized  is  purely  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture. The  introduction  and  propagation  of  such  varieties  as  the 
Fuyu  which  do  not  require  processessing,  would  seem  to  be  much  the 
more  promising  procedure.  For  those  who  desire  to  process  fruits 
for  home  use,  immersing  them  for  a  period  of  twelve  hours  in  water 
maintained  at  a  temperature  of  75  to  105  degrees  Fahrenheit  is  recom- 
mended. Injuring  the  fruit  by  mechanical  means,  such  as  cutting  into 
the  center  with  a  knife  blade  or  pricking  with  a  large  needle,  will  also 
hasten  ripening  and  usually  with  no  attendant  decay. 


18. — Method  of  drying  persimmons   employed  in   China.      Courtesy 
C.  C.  Thomas,  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture. 


Drying  Methods 

Dried  persimmons  are  used  extensively  in  both  China  and  Japan. 
The  less  juicy  varieties,  such  as  the  Tanenashi,  are  usually  prepared 
in  this  way,  as  are  also  a  number  which  are  never  suitable  for  eating 
fresh  because  of  their  excessive  astringency.  The  fruits  are  cut  from 
the  tree,  leaving  a  "T"  shaped  portion  of  the  twig  attached,  which 
serves  to  attach  them  to  the  long  strings  into  which  they  are  braided 
after  being  peeled.  These  are  then  hung  in  the  sun  and  wind  for 
about  three  weeks,  or  in  open  sheds  (fig.  18).    After  drying  they  are 


56  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

cured  in  piles  covered  with  mats  where  they  undergo  a  sweating 
process,  during  which  a  coating  of  grape  sugar  forms  on  the  surface. 
They  are  then  ready  for  consumption.  A  description  of  the  methods 
employed  is  given  by  Meyer26. 

Both  Japanese  and  American  growers  in  California  have  dried 
persimmons  for  home  use  but  only  a  fair  quality  of  product  has  been 
obtained  with  the  Hachiya  variety  and  small  dark-fleshed  varieties. 
No  attempts  have  been  made  to  produce  them  commercially,  however, 
although  experiments  conducted  by  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture27  have  shown  that  they  are  readily  dried  in  an  evaporator 
at  a  temperature  of  122  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  fruits  were  peeled 
with  nickle-plated  knives  to  prevent  the  staining  caused  by  iron 
blades.  They  were  then  sliced  at  right  angles  to  the  axis,  and  gave 
what  was  said  to  be  an  excellent  light-colored  product.  The  Tanenashi 
variety  was  found  to  be  particularly  well  adapted  for  drying. 

Investigations  in  progress  by  the  Division  of  Fruit  Products  of  the 
University  of  California  have  brought  out  the  following  points  of 
importance  in  relation  to  drying  persimmons : 

1.  The  fruit  should  be  dried  when  firm  ripe,  as  when  soft  ripe  it  is  mushy 
to  handle  and  sticks  to  the  trays. 

2.  Steaming  before  drying  prevents  darkening  of  the  natural  color  during 
drying. 

3.  Sulfuring  to  retain  color  is  not  advisable  as  it  causes  the  fruit  to  retain 
its  astringent  taste,  which  otherwise  disappears  entirely  during  drying. 

4.  Peeling  causes  the  fruit  to  dry  more  rapidly  and  gives  a  more  tender 
orange-colored  product,  but  because  of  the  labor  and  the  loss  in  weight  involved 
it  may  not  be  economically  advisable. 

5.  Whole  fruits  dry  very  slowly,  while  sliced  fruits  stick  to  the  trays. 
Halving  the  small  fruits  and  quartering  the  large  ones  is  believed  to  be  the  best 
procedure.  The  best  product  is  that  which  is  peeled  and  then  sliced  before 
drying. 

6.  Eapid  drying  in  a  modern  dehydrater  with  a  strong  blast  of  air  has  given 
the  best  results.  There  is  some  darkening  of  color,  but  the  orange-brown  color 
is  rich  and  not  displeasing  to  the  eye.  The  drying  ratio  of  unpeeled  ripe  fruit  is 
about  4  to  1. 

Further  studies  will  be  required,  however,  before  the  possibilities 
along  this  line  can  be  fully  determined. 


26  Meyer,  Frank  N.  China,  a  fruitful  field  for  plant  exploration.  U.  S.  Dept. 
Agr.  Yearbook  1915:212-214.     1916. 

27  Gore,  H.  C.  Large  scale  experiments  on  the  processing  of  Japanese  per- 
simmons with  notes  on  the  preparation  of  dried  persimmons,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr. 
Bureau.  Chem.  Bui.  155:1-20.     1912. 


BUL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  57 


MARKETING 
Principal  Markets 

At  present  the  principal  markets  for  the  presimmon  are  New  York 
and  Chicago,  Hawaii,  and  the  local  markets  in  California.  Most  of 
the  northern  California  fruit  is  shipped  to  eastern  markets,  although 
some  goes  to  Hawaii,  while  most  of  the  southern  California  crop  is 
consumed  locally,  eastern  shipments  being  much  smaller  than  those 
from  northern  districts.  Since  few  or  no  markets  can  absorb  car-lot 
shipments,  the  general  practice  of  the  growers  in  Placer  County  is  to 
shiped  in  mixed  cars  with  plums,  grapes,  pears,  and  other  fresh  fruits 
The  bulk  of  the  shipments  is  sold  through  fruit  auctions.  In  southern 
California  the  fruit  is  usually  sold  to  jobbers  in  Los  Angeles  and 
until  recently  has  been  handled  on  consignment.  Because  of  the  wide 
price  fluctuation  in  spite  of  the  rather  limited  amount  of  fruit,  the 
leading  growers,  controlling  the  bulk  of  the  acreage  and  crop  during 
recent  years,  have  set  and  maintained  a  price  for  their  fruit  through 
the  medium  of  the  Persimmon  Growers  Department  of  the  Southern 
Counties  Farm  Bureaus.  These  prices  are  based  on  fruit  graded  and 
standardized  as  to  pack. 

Grading  and  Packing 

Lack  of  standardization  of  pack  and  the  absence  of  well  recognized 
grades  have  greatly  handicapped  the  growers  in  marketing  their 
crops.  Efforts  have  been  made  to  induce  the  growers  to  ship  only  the 
best  fruit,  but  these  efforts  have  not  been  wholly  successful,  and 
markets  still  receive  and  handle  much  inferior  and  poorly  graded 
fruit.  This  condition  has  reacted  to  lower  the  price  of  the  better 
grades  and  undoubtedly  has  injured  the  reputation  of  the  persimmon 
as  a  table  fruit.  For  the  purpose  of  improving  this  situation  certain 
grading  and  packing  standards  have  recently  been  adopted  by  the 
members  of  the  Persimmon  Growers  Department  of  the  Southern 
Counties  Farm  Bureaus.  They  apply  only  to  the  Hachiya  variety, 
which  is  marketed  in  greatest  quantity,  and  are  as  follows : 

First  Grade. — Fruits  uniform  in  shape  and  color  for  the  variety,  free  from 
all  blemishes  and  sunburn,  and  packing  not  more  than  6x8,  that  is, 
48  fruits  to  the  standard  single  tier,  peach  crate.  The  preferred  pack 
for  this  grade  is  5  x  7. 


58 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Second  Grade. — Fruits  eliminated  from  Grade  No.  1  because  of  lack  of 
uniformity  of  shape,  discoloration  or  sunburn,  or  lack  of  size,  but  free 
from  decay  and  serious  bruising.  Size  should  exceed  half  that  standard 
for  the  variety. 

Third  Grade. — Culls.     Fruits  below  the  requirements  of  Grade  No.  2. 

The  standard  peach  crate  containing-  two  layers  of  fruit  when 
packed  is  the  most  commonly  used  package  in  northern  California 
(fig.  19).     It  weighs  from  18  to  25  pounds  packed,  according  to  the 


llfev:    * 


Fig.  19. — Two-layer  peach  crates  used  for  express  shipments  in  Placer  County. 


size  of  the  fruit.  A  single  tier  box,  weighing  about  14  pounds  when 
packed,  is  also  used  for  larger  fruit.  For  loose  fruit  the  30-pound 
lug  box  is  used  most  commonly  in  southern  California,  while  for  ship- 
ment the  single  tier  box  containing  from  20  to  48  fruits,  according  to 
size,  is  employed  (fig.  20).  Four-basket  peach  crates  are  used  in 
Florida  and  other  southern  states.  This  package  has  also  been  used 
to  a  limited  extent  in  Placer  County  shipments.  The  single  tier  crate 
is  to  be  perferred  for  the  Hachiya  variety  on  account  of  the  lessened 
degree  of  injury  caused  by  the  pointed  shape  of  the  fruit.  The 
Hyakume,  Fuyu,  and  other  varities  do  not  have  this  handicap.    Fruit 


Bul.  416] 


THE    ORIENTAL    PERSIMMON    IN    CALIFORNIA 


59 


for  eastern  shipment  is  wrapped  in  paper,  though  there  has  been  some 
evidence  to  indicate  that  wrapping  may  slightly  retard  ripening.  It 
permits  a  more  solid  pack  and  prevents  contact  between  the  fruits. 


Fig.  20. — Packing  shed  in  southern  California  showing  single  tier  method 

of  packing. 


Cold  Storage 

Much  fruit  has  been  placed  in  cold  storage  to  be  held  for  the 
Christmas  market,  particularly  in  Los  Angeles.  In  some  seasons  the 
results  have  been  far  from  satisfactory.  The  losses  seem  to  have  been 
caused  principally  by  lack  of  uniformity  in  maturity  and  unfavorable 
temperatures.  Some  preliminary  cold  storage  studies  have  been  made 
at  the  California  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  the  results  of 
which,  according  to  Condit,28  indicate  that  all  varieties  softened  much 
more  quickly  at  36  degrees  Fahrenheit  than  at  32  degrees,  and  that 
the  fruits  keep  best  at  30  degrees.  Most  varieties  show  a  tendency 
to  shrivel  in  storage,  especially  at  the  apex,  which  might  be  overcome 
at  least  in  part  by  the  use  of  wrapping  paper.  Table  3,  taken  from 
California  Agricultural  Experiment  Bulletin  316,  shows  the  com- 
parative results  with  the  different  varieties. 


28  Condit,  I.  J.     The  kaki  or  Oriental  persimmon.     California  Agr.  Exp.  Sta. 
Bul.  316:229-266.     1919. 


60 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


TABLE   3 

Length  of  Time;  in  Days  in  which  the  Fruit  Kept  in  Good  Condition 


Variety 

County- 

32°  F 

32°  F 

36°  F 

Hachiya 

Placer 

158 
141 
170 
210 
210 
210 
108 

89 

63 

98 

189 

148 

118 

44 

51 

Hachiya 

Orange 

34 

Tanenashi 

Placer 

30 

Maru 

Placer 

63 

Hyakume 

Placer 

63 

Mikado 

Placer 

30 

Tsuru 

Orange 

28 

The  best  keeper  in  the  32  degree  room  was  Atago,  obtained  from 
Chico  under  S.P.I.  No.  13842.  It  kept  157  days  in  excellent  condition, 
retaining  its  firmness  and  glossiness  throughout.  Specimens  of  the 
Tamopan  from  two  different  localities  showed  poor  keeping  qualities 
at  all  three  temperatures.  The  problem  of  cold  storage  for  the  per- 
simmon has  not  been  solved  and  needs  further  investigation. 


YIELDS  AND  RETURNS 

The  recent  heavily  increased  planting  of  persimmons  in  California 
has  undoubtedly  been  caused  by  the  uniformly  good  returns  that  this 
fruit  has  brought  over  a  long  period  of  years.  The  average  to  the 
growers  has  been  from  6  to  7  cents  a  pound  for  many  years,  but 
during  the  last  three  or  four  years  it  has  reached  as  high  as  from  12 
to  16  cents  for  choice  fruit  and  as  high  as  20  cents  a  pound  for  extra 
fancy  fruit.  The  price  set  by  the  Persimmon  Growers  Department  of 
the  Southern  Counties  Farm  Bureaus  for  the  1924  crop  was  9  cents 
F.O.B.  the  ranch  for  No.  1  grade  and  7  cents  for  No.  2  grade.  With 
the  new  acreage  that  is  rapidly  coming  into  production,  these  prices 
cannot  be  expected  to  continue,  though  with  education,  advertising, 
and  improvement  in  grading  and  packing,  the  average  price  that  has 
been  received  for  many  years  should  be  maintained.  In  the  opinion 
of  one  of  the  leading  growers  in  Placer  County,  persimmons  can  be 
grown  in  that  district  profitably  at  5  cents  a  pound  to  the  grower. 

According  to  the  1920  census,  the  average  production  to  a  tree  for 
the  United  States  was  50  pounds,  while  that  for  California  was  75 
pounds.  These  figures  take  into  consideration  all  varieties  and  all 
kinds  of  orchard  conditions  and  are  below  the  yield  of  well-kept 
orchards  of  standard  varieties.    An  average  yield  of  150  to  200  pounds 


BUL.  416]  TIIE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  61 

of  fruit  to  a  tree  a  year  is  a  reasonable  expectation.  Some  orchards 
exceed  this  at  the  present  time.  Under  good  care  80  per  cent  of  first 
grade  fruit  ought  to  be  received.  Higher  yields  than  this  should  not 
be  used  as  a  basis  for  estimating  probable  returns.  Extreme  cases  can 
always  be  found,  such  as  that  illustrated  by  a  tree  on  the  Skeele  place 
in  Monrovia,  set  out  in  1889  by  W.  N.  Monroe,  founder  of  the  city. 
For  three  or  four  consecutive  seasons  this  tree  has  yielded  about  1000 
pounds  of  fine  quality  fruit.  It  is,  however,  located  at  the  edge  of  a 
citrus  grove,  with  much  free  space  around  it,  and  receives  excellent 
care. 

Using  an  average  production  of  175  pounds  of  fruit  to  a  tree  and 
80  per  cent  of  this  amount  of  first  grade,  with  the  trees  set  24  by  24 
feet,  or  75  to  the  acre,  the  quantity  of  first  class  fruit  would  be  10,640 
pounds ;  with  the  trees  set  20  by  20  feet  or  108  to  the  acre  it  would  be 
15,120  pounds  to  the  acre.  At  5  cents  a  pound  gross  to  the  grower, 
the  gross  returns  to  the  acre  would  be  $634.40  and  $746.00,  respec- 
tively. These  estimates  seem  high  in  relation  to  a  cost  of  production, 
which  is  much  lower  than  in  the  case  of  the  citrus  fruits,  but  it  must 
be  remembered  they  are  based  on  data  secured  on  a  relatively  small 
acreage.  The  doubling  and  trebling  of  the  acreage  which  has  occurred 
in  recent  years  will  probably  have  a  material  effect  on  the  prices 
received  by  the  growers,  unless  concerted  efforts  are  made  to  produce 
only  the  best  quality  fruit  and  to  educate  the  buying  public  to  the  uses 
of  the  persimmon.  The  removal  of  the  lower  grades  from  the 
markets  and  disposal  of  them  in  other  ways  will  doubtless  be  of 
assistance  in  this  connection. 


OUTLOOK 

It  should  be  pointed  out  that  there  are  thousands  of  acres  of  land 
in  California  that  are  suitable  to  persimmon  culture,  much  of  this  land 
being  cheaper  than  that  now  devoted  to  the  production  of  this  fruit, 
particularly  in  southern  California.  In  addition  there  are  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  acres  of  cheaper  land  in  the  southern  states  that  can 
be  put  into  persimmon  orchards,  with  the  advantage  of  closer  markets, 
cheap  labor  and  lower  taxes.  A  continued  high  return  for  persimmons 
will  not  only  bring  a  much  larger  area  of  this  fruit  under  cultivation 
in  California,  but  also  inevitably  in  other  states.  The  Hachiya,  which 
has  commanded  a  premium  over  other  varieties,  does  not  thrive  as  well 
in  the  southern  states  as  some  others  now  less  favored  in  the  markets. 
In  this  respect  California  has  some  slight  advantage.    If  the  industry 


62  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

is  to  continue  to  prove  a  profitable  one,  the  same  economic  laws  which 
have  made  possible  the  development  of  other  fruit  industries  in  Cali- 
fornia must  be  observed — the  production  of  only  the  uniformly  highest 
quality  fruit  at  the  lowest  cost. 

The  persimmon  has  a  decided  advantage  in  maturing  at  the  time 
of  the  winter  holiday  season  and  much  can  be  done  to  increase  its 
popularity.  No  concerted  efforts  have  been  made  to  advertise  the 
fruit  and  its  many  uses.  This  can  be  brought  about  only  by  coopera- 
tion among  the  growers.  Already  a  step  has  been  made  in  this  direc- 
tion in  the  formation  of  the  Persimmon  Growers  Department  of  the 
Southern  Counties  Farm  Bureaus  in  the  fall  of  1922,  and  the  more 
recent  organization  of  the  persimmon  growers  of  northern  California, 
for  the  expressed  purpose  of  studying  mutually  all  problems  of  pro- 
duction and  distribution.  The  indications  are  that  the  persimmon 
growers  will  follow  the  successful  example  afforded  by  other  California 
fruit  industries.  There  is,  therefore,  good  reason  to  believe  that  per- 
simmon culture  will  eventually  assume  a  permanent  and  important 
place  among  the  many  successful  subtropical  fruit  industries  for 
which  this  state  is  justly  famous. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Asknowledgment  is  made  of  the  helpful  assistance  of  Professor 
Robert  W.  Hodgson  of  the  Division  of  Subtropical  Horticulture  in 
suggestions  and  the  preparation  of  the  manuscript,  and  to  Messrs. 
C.  C.  Thomas  and  J.  E.  Morrow  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry, 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  who  by  supplying  speci- 
mens, photographs,  and  notes,  have  materially  assisted  in  the  study 
of  the  persimmon  varieties  introduced  by  the  government. 


LIST   OF  SELECTED   REFERENCES   ON   ORIENTAL  PERSIMMON 

CULTURE 
Bailey,  L.  H. 

1914.  Persimmon.     In  Stanclary  Cyclopedia  of  Horticulture  5:2556-2560. 

Condit,  I.  J. 

1919.     The  kaki  or  Oriental  persimmon.     California  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  316: 
229-266.     figs.  1-20. 

Fletcher,  W.  F. 

1915.  The   native   persimmon.      U.S.    Dept.    Agr.    Farmer's    Bui.    685:1-28. 

figs.  1-17. 


BUL.  416]  THE   ORIENTAL   PERSIMMON   IN    CALIFORNIA  63 

Gore,  H.  C,  et  al. 

1911.  Experiments  on   the  processing  of  persimmons   to   render  them   non- 

astringent.      U.S.    Dept.    of    Agr.    Chem.    Bui.    141:1-31.      pis.    1-3. 
figs.  1-5. 
Gore,  H.  C. 

1912.  Large   scale   experiments   on   the  processing    of   Japanese  persimmons, 

with  notes  on  the  preparation  of  dried  persimmons.     U.  S.  Dept. 

Agr.  Br.  Chem.  Bull.  155:1-20.     figs.  1-3. 
Hume,  H.  H. 

1914.     Planting  persimmons.     Jour.  Heredity  5:131-138.     figfis.  16-19. 

1914.     A  kaki  classification.     Jour.  Heredity  5:400-406.     figs.  6-11. 

1914.     Effect  of  pollination  on  the  fruit  of  Diospyros  "kaki.     Proc.  Soc.  Hort. 

Sci.  1913:88-93. 
Lloyd,  F.  E. 

1911.     Tannin-colloid    complexes   in    the    fruit    of   the    persimmon,    Diospyros. 

Biochem,  Bui.  1:7-41.     pis.  1-3. 
1911.     Behavior    of    tannin    in    persimmons    with    some    notes    on    ripening. 

Plant  World  14:1-14.     fifigs.  1-14. 
1916.     The   red   color  of  the   mesocarp   of   seeded   fruits   in   the   persimmon 

(Diospyros  kaki).     Plant  World  19:106-113.     fig.  1. 
1916.     A  visual  method  for  estimating  astringency.     Plant  World  19:113. 

Meter,  Frank  N. 

1911.     Persimmons.    In  Agricultural  explorations  in  the  fruit  and  nut  orchards 

of   China.     U.S.   Dept.  Agr.   Bur.   Plant   Industry  Bui.   204:10-16. 

pis.  1-3.     figs.  1-6. 

1916.     Oriental  persimmons  suited  for  drying  purposes.     In  China  a  fruitful 

field  for  plant  exprolation.     U.S.  Dept.  Agr.  Yearbook  1915:212- 

214.     pis.  33-35. 

McClure,  F.  A. 

1925.     Some    preliminary    notes    on    persimmons    in    Kwangtung.      Lingnaam 
Agr.  Rev.  3:91-98.     figs.  1-17. 

Rehder,  Alfred. 

1914.     Diospyros.     In  Bailey,   L.   H.      Standard   Cyclopedia    of  Horticulture 
2:1014-1016. 

RoEDiNG,  Geo.  C. 

1907.     Unpuckering  persimmons.     Pacific  Rural  Press  74:333. 

Saunders,  Wm. 

1898.     Japan  persimmons.     U.S.  Dept.  Agr.  Yearbook  1897:187. 

Van  Deman,  H.  E. 

1888.     History  and  varieites  of  the  persimmon.     Rept.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  1887: 

642-645. 
1892.     Kaki  in  Georgia  and  Florida.     Rept.  U.S.  Dept.  Agr.  1891:385-388. 

pis.  4-6. 


